Decorative Arts | 16th–19th century
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Writing Box with a Camellia, Edo period, 19th century (Gift of Mr. Quincy A. Shaw)
Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 8
October 20, 2020 (Tue) - January 24, 2021 (Sun)From the late 16th century, changes in society helped artisans to develop the decorative arts. In the Azuchi–Momoyama period (1573–1603), samurai warlords united Japan after more than a century of fighting. The following Edo period (1603–1868) saw economic growth under a new samurai government, with merchants and other people gaining the wealth to buy art.
Potters succeeded in making Japan's first porcelain in the early 17th century. Methods for decorating porcelain and other ceramics then became more diverse, as shown by works with gold, silver, and color enamels. Meanwhile, textiles saw rapid technical advances. The loom was improved to make complex weaves possible, while dyeing became as detailed and expressive as painting.
Items like furniture and dining sets were coated with lacquer and decorated with metal powders, most often gold. Lacquer workers refined this technique, called maki–e, and combined it with new materials for more elaborate designs. Metalworkers also began using a wider variety of base metals and alloys, creating works with greater detail and precision.
| Designation | Name | Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance |
Period | Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number |
CMT | ||
| Highlight | Writing Box with a Camellia | Edo period, 19th century | Gift of Mr. Quincy A. Shaw H-213 | ||||
| Highlight | Fire-Resistant Garment with Sacred Shinto Boundary Ropes | Edo period, 19th century | Gift of Mrs. Henry I-3686 | On exhibit through December 20, 2020 | |||
| Robe-Shaped Comforter with a Pine Tree, Bamboo, Plum Blossoms, a Crane, and a Tortoise | Edo period, 19th century | Gift of Mr. Noguchi Shinzō, I-4033 | On exhibit from January 2, 2021 | ||||
| Highlight | Large Dish with a Snowy Landscape | Nabeshima ware, Previously owned by Shiobara Matasaku | Edo period, 18th century | G-5295 | |||
| Sake Pitcher with Birds and Flowers | Imari ware | Edo period, 17th century | G-5877 | ||||
| Gourd-Shaped Sake Bottles with Auspicious Motifs | Imari ware | Edo period, 17th century | G-1794 | ||||
| Highlight | Lidded Stacked Box with Camellias, a Pine, Bamboo, and a Plum Tree | Kyoto ware | Edo period, 18th century | G-41 |