In the past, as in the present, resplendent and beautiful boxes have always been a source of boundless fascination. The more important the contents they held, or the higher the status of the owner, the more beautiful the box and the more extravagant its ornamentation. Such decorative objects became beloved as “jewel boxes,” of which accessory boxes known as tebako were the most representative type. Originally, courtiers and aristocrats used these boxes as containers for various personal possessions. They were decorated with designs in maki-e sprinkled gold, mother-of-pearl inlay, and other exquisite decorative techniques of the day and were even presented as offerings to be used as furnishings for the use of the gods. In particular, accessory boxes of the medieval period were imbued with the ultimate heights of technical achievement, to the extent that they could be considered the crystallization of the essence of lacquer techniques of the day and virtually all of them were objects that were befitting of passing down as “sacred treasures” of the gods or as the personal possessions of an elite subset of the privileged classes.

This exhibition marks the occasion of the debut of the National Treasure tebako from the Suntory Museum of collection—an accessory box with fusenryō design in mother-of-pearl and maki-e sprinkled gold—which is being exhibited after recently being restored for the first time in about fifty years. While interweaving aspects of ways in which such boxes were used in people’s everyday lives, the exhibition highlights the appeal of accessory boxes that were especially lavishly finished. In particular, it brings together boxes that have been preserved as sacred treasures of famous shrines, together with various shrine treasures they would have contained, including clothing and accessories, such as robes, shoes, and cypress wood folding fans, as well as mirrors, mirror stands, writing boxes, and other items.

In addition, the exhibition introduces details of the complex and time-consuming techniques used in the production of these well-known accessory boxes that have become better understood through the recent restoration project. At the same time, it also invites you to experience the original brilliance they would have radiated at the time of their creation through reproductions that have been undertaken by master craftsmen in modern times.

These jewel boxes glittering with gold and mother-of-pearl embody technical and aesthetic achievements that have fascinated people throughout history and at times have even been offered to the gods. We hope that you will enjoy their skill and their beauty.