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Writing Case, Box and Lid

Asian Art

MEDIUM Lacquered and painted wood
  • Place Made: Japan
  • DATES 19th century
    PERIOD Edo Period
    DIMENSIONS 2 x 11 x 12 in. (5.1 x 27.9 x 30.5 cm)  (show scale)
    COLLECTIONS Asian Art
    ACCESSION NUMBER 06.337
    CREDIT LINE Gift of Robert B. Woodward
    CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Writing box and lid (suzuribako) with crane and pine bough design. Rectangular in shape with flattened corners; contains 4 empty interior sections for writing implements, surrounding a central rectangular section containing a worn ink stone; also contained inside is a paulownia leaf-shaped water dropper (possibly pewter) set into a raised and outlined area in the center of one of the four sections. Both box and cover are painted with black lacquer and covered with fine gold flecks; the top of the cover shows two silver and gold cranes standing to the right in a group of 8 upright pine bough tips while a third crane hovers overhead. Inside the cover on a gold ground is a suggested landscape, showing a stream and tiny maple leaves, a scholar on horseback followed by two servants carrying a garment and boxes. All are painted in several colors and black.
    MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view
    CAPTION Writing Case, Box and Lid, 19th century. Lacquered and painted wood, 2 x 11 x 12 in. (5.1 x 27.9 x 30.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Robert B. Woodward, 06.337. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 06.337_bw.jpg)
    IMAGE overall, 06.337_bw.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph
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    RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY
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