A Two-Tiered Inlaid Japanese Radial Lacquer Box

Circa 1800

This Japanese lacquer box of curved radial shape features a series of boats drifting across the box’s surface. Rendered in alternating black lacquer and mother-of-pearl inlay, these boats carry an abundance of grain. Grain bundles symbolise prosperity, fertility, and plentiful harvests. The water atop which they float is suggested through a stylised, scalloping wave pattern created through the maki-e technique. Across the entire background, peeking out through the waves and filling in any gaps, is a detailed nashiji ground, created by embedding gold flakes beneath translucent layers of lacquer.