Object
Incense box with lion and peony design
- Carved lacquer
- Japan, Muromachi period, 16th century
- Collection of Tokyo National Museum
Though it resembles the traditional Chinese carved lacquerware, this piece is a simplified adaptation of it. It features multi-layers of thick ash-lacquer mixture base and red-black lacquer coating with carved patterns. Traces of yellow lacquer suggest an attempt to achieve a gilded effect typical of the Chinese lacquerware. During the Muromachi period, the admiration for Chinese Tang wares (karamono) inspired Japanese artisans to emulate these styles.
