Lacquerware
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Seat for Buddhist Ceremonies (Raiban) with Gentian Flowers in Circles, Kamakura period, 13th century (Important Cultural Property)
Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 12
January 2, 2025 (Thu) - March 16, 2025 (Sun)Lacquer is the sap of the lacquer tree, which grows in East and Southeast Asia. Naturally sticky, it can be brushed onto different materials, and hardens into a durable coating that is waterproof and resistant to acids, alkalis, and heat. Because of its versatility and beauty, lacquer has been central to daily life in parts of Asia for over 9,000 years.
In Japan, artisans coated everyday items with lacquer, including furniture, boxes, dining sets, and cosmetic and writing tools. The base material could be wood, pottery, cloth, leather, or paper. To decorate these items, artisans painted designs with a mixture of lacquer and pigment, or used lacquer like a glue to inlay metal and mother-of-pearl.
But the pinnacle of lacquer decoration in Japan is maki-e (sprinkled picture). It consists of painting a design with lacquer, and then sprinkling metal powders onto the sticky lacquer before it hardens. Artisans first used maki-e techniques in the 8th century. As shown in this gallery, they developed them to an extraordinary degree over the centuries.
| Designation | Name | Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance |
Period | Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number |
CMT | ||
| Highlight | Important Cultural Property | Sake Bottle ("Heishi") with a Phoenix, Paulownia, and Bamboo | Heian period, 12th century | Lent by Tamukeyama Hachimangū Shrine, Nara | |||
| Highlight | Important Cultural Property | Seat for Buddhist Ceremonies ("Raiban") with Gentian Flowers in Circles | Kamakura period, 13th century | H-4273 | |||
| Flower Basket for Buddhist Rituals | Kamakura period, 13th century | H-4289 | |||||
| Highlight | National Treasure | Cosmetic Box with Paulownia Trees; Contents of the Box | Nanbokuchō period; offered to the shrine in 1390 | Lent by Kumano Hayatama Shrine, Wakayama | |||
| Highlight | Important Cultural Property | Display Table and Writing Box | Muromachi period, 16th century | Lent by Sōunji Temple, Kanagawa | |||
| Travel Case for Cosmetics, Decorated with Waves and Rabbits | Edo period, 17th century | H-460 |