Suntory Museum of Art
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Notable Works
Box with designs of the five festival days in maki-e

Notable Works

Lacquerware

Box with designs of the five festival days in maki-e

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Artist: Shibata Zeshin
Number of components: 1
Dimensions (in cm): W. 24.6, D. 18.8, H. 13.8
Date of production: Meiji period 19th century

This is the work of the painter and lacquer artist Shibata Zeshin. Zeshin specialized in bronze paint which he has applied to the whole box. The exterior depicts five festival day designs in silver and gold maki-e, multi-colored lacquer, thin sheets of gold, and blue shell. The designs are temari balls and daikon radish for the Nanakusa festival on January 7; a bottle gourd, branches of cherry and peach for the Dolls Festival on March 3; a long sword and wild ginger for the Boys' Day Festival on May 5; brushes and mulberry leaves for Tanabata on July 7; and branches of aster for the Chrysanthemum Festival on September 9. Traditional metaphorical motifs representing the five festival days that celebrate the turn of the seasons are presented on a single box.

Notable Works

Box with designs of the five festival days in maki-e

SUNTORY MUSEUM of ART