Decorative Arts | 16th–19th century
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Lunchbox with an Image of Men Moving Stones
Edo period, 17th centuryJapanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 8
March 11, 2025 (Tue) - May 18, 2025 (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 | Lunchbox with an Image of Men Moving Stones | Edo period, 17th century | H-434 | ||||
| Highlight | Mid-Layer Sash ("Kakeshita Obi") Fretwork, Peonies, and Wisteria Flowers | Edo period, 19th century | I-3621 | On exhibit from April 22, 2025 | |||
| Highlight | Kimono ("Kosode") with Carp, Waterfalls, and Flowering Plants | Edo period, 19th century | Gift of Mrs. Henry, I-3771 | On exhibit from April 22, 2025 | |||
| Gourd-Shaped Sake Bottle | By Funada Ikkin (1812–63) | Edo period, 1843 | E-12744 | ||||
| Highlight | Set of Dishes with Weeping Cherry Trees | Nabeshima ware | Edo period, 18th century | Gift of Mr. Yoneda Minoru and Ms. Yoneda Chieko, G-5888 | |||
| Highlight | Dish with "Flower Rafts" | Nabeshima ware | Edo period, 18th century | G-583 | |||
| Highlight | Bowl with a Handle and Cherry Blossoms | Kyoto ware | Edo period, 18th century | G-1239 | |||
| Highlight | Bowl with Cherry Trees | By Ninnami Dōhachi (1783–1855) | Edo period, 19th century | G-5797 |