拍品專文
The layout of the interior (with a large tray to the right), the bridge motif and the bold use of lead and shell inlay are all characteristic of lacquers made in the tradition established by the great calligrapher, potter, sword connoisseur and designer Hon'ami Koetsu (1558-1637). As with much other Koetsu-inspired lacquer, the subject matter is based on passages from early literature and in particular on waka poems from the Kokinshu anthology, completed in 905AD (see also lot 675), for example number 283 for the exterior of the lid and number 345 for the interior:
Tatsutagawa Tatsuta river
momiji midarete maple leaves in profusion
nagarumeri floating in the stream -
wataraba nishiki if you crossed it the brocade
naka ya taenamu would be broken in two
Shio no yama The song of wave birds
sashide no iso ni flying on the promontory
sumu chidori of Shioyama
kimi ga miyo o ba must mean "may your lordship's
yachiyo to zo naku reign last for eight thousand ages"
The bridge and maple motif is seen on many other lacquers including a suzuribako in the British Museum, the interior of whose lid is decorated with deer, another Kokinshu theme.
1 Smith, Lawrence; Harris, Victor; Clark, Timothy, Japanese Art: Masterpieces in the British Museum, (London, 1990), cat. no. 93, a suzuribako; Yoshimura Motoo, Makie, (Kyoto, 1976), vol. 2, cat. nos. 167, 170 and 172, all jubako
Tatsutagawa Tatsuta river
momiji midarete maple leaves in profusion
nagarumeri floating in the stream -
wataraba nishiki if you crossed it the brocade
naka ya taenamu would be broken in two
Shio no yama The song of wave birds
sashide no iso ni flying on the promontory
sumu chidori of Shioyama
kimi ga miyo o ba must mean "may your lordship's
yachiyo to zo naku reign last for eight thousand ages"
The bridge and maple motif is seen on many other lacquers including a suzuribako in the British Museum, the interior of whose lid is decorated with deer, another Kokinshu theme.
1 Smith, Lawrence; Harris, Victor; Clark, Timothy, Japanese Art: Masterpieces in the British Museum, (London, 1990), cat. no. 93, a suzuribako; Yoshimura Motoo, Makie, (Kyoto, 1976), vol. 2, cat. nos. 167, 170 and 172, all jubako