Object
Writing desk and box with chrysanthemum and waterside design
- Lacquerware with maki-e
- Japan, Edo period, 19th century
- Collection of Tokyo National Museum
In Japan, writing desks and boxes are often designed in sets. The desk is used for writing on paper, while the box stores inkstones, brushes, and water droppers. The design of blooming chrysanthemums alongside a water stream is embossed using the taka maki-e technique. These motifs symbolize longevity and good fortune, which draw inspiration from Kiku Jido, a traditional Noh theater play associated with the Chinese legends. According to the myth, a royal envoy from the Emperor Wen era of the Wei dynasty encountered a boy named Citong (jido), who had lived for 700 years by drinking dew from chrysanthemum leaves.
