Cosmetics Box with Chrysanthemums (base)
early 1300s
Maker Unknown
Japanese Art
Cosmetics Box with Chrysanthemums (base), early 1300s. Japan, Kamakura period (1185-1333). Lacquer on wood; overall: 17.6 x 29 x 22.8 cm (6 15/16 x 11 7/16 x 9 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund 1963.513.a In China, the chrysanthemum was historically appreciated for its association with the Double Nine Festival and the reclusive life of the poet Tao Yuanming (AD 365-427). In Japan, the 16-petaled chrysanthemum came to symbolize the Japanese imperial family after Emperor Gotoba (1180-1239) chose the motif as his personal emblem, having it applied to his sword and everyday utensils. This box proves that the flower also appeared on lacquer wares as early as the Kamakura period. In Japanese, this type of small box is called a tebako, literally a hand box, and was typically part of a cosmetics set.
- Maker/Artist
- Maker Unknown
- Classification
- Lacquer
- Formatted Medium
- lacquer on wood
- Dimensions
- Overall: 17.6 x 29 x 22.8 cm (6 15/16 x 11 7/16 x 9 in.)
- Departments
- Japanese Art
- Accession Number
- 1963.513.a
- Credit Line
- John L. Severance Fund
- Exhibitions
- The Lure of Painted Poetry: Cross-cultural Text and Image in Korean and Japanese Art, <em>One Thousand Years of Japanese Art (650-1650) from The Cleveland Museum of Art</em>. Japan House Gallery, New York, NY (March 19-May 17, 1981).
- Rights Statement
- CC0
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