Decorative Arts | 16th–19th century
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Bowl in the Shape of a Stylized Sandbank with a Handle, Mino ware, Oribe type, Edo period, 17th century (Gift of Mr. Mino Susumu)
Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 8
January 26, 2021 (Tue) - April 25, 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 | ||
| Grooming Cabinet with Bamboo Lozenges and Hollyhock Crests | Edo period, 1816 (Bunka 13) | H-2806-4 | |||||
| Tiered Stand with Fishing Nets and Herons | Edo period, 17th century | H-459 | |||||
| Portable Food Boxes with Waves and Plovers | By Nagata Yūji | Edo period, 18th century | Gift of Mr. Nishiwaki Kenji, H-4278 | ||||
| Highlight | 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 through February 28, 2021 | |||
| Gourd-Shaped Sake Bottle | By Funada Ikkin (1812–63) | Edo period, 1843 (Tenpō 14) | E-12744 | ||||
| Highlight | Bowl in the Shape of a Stylized Sandbank with a Handle | Mino ware, Oribe type | Edo period, 17th century | Gift of Mr. Mino Susumu, G-5091 | |||
| Highlight | Handled Bowl with Cherry Blossoms | Kyoto ware | Edo period, 18th century | G-1239 | |||
| Highlight | Dishes with Cherry Trees | Nabeshima ware | Edo period, 18th century | G-826 |