A small rounded gold lacquer incense box is densely decorated with iridescent mother-of-pearl flowers, leaves, and tiny birds.

dated 1876 · Gold hiramaki-e, mother-of-pearl, and gold ground

Incense Box

Ogawa Shōmin

Why it matters

The dated box anchors aesthetic admiration in skilled Meiji production rather than in a generic timeless past. Its later collection history proves circulation, but not that it was originally made for export.

Publication
Meiji-period lacquerware
Holding institution
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Department of Asian Art
Shelfmark
36.100.165a, b
Rights
Public Domain; The Met Open Access

Citation

Ogawa Shōmin. Incense Box. Dated 1876. Gold hiramaki-e, mother-of-pearl, and gold ground. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 36.100.165a, b.