Object
Bookshelf with plant design
- Lacquerware with maki-e
- Japan, Edo period, 18th century
- Collection of Tokyo National Museum
This decorative shelf for scrolls and books crafted luxuriously with various maki-e techniques reflects the aesthetic favored by the upper-class samurai families of the mid-Edo period. Gold powder sprinkles decorate the entire surface with the nashiji technique: flowing water is depicted with togidashi maki-e, and waterside scenery with slopes, rocks, and pine tree patterns is created with taka maki-e. Exhibited at the 1873 World Fair in Vienna, it sank in a storm on its returning journey. Although it was salvaged two years later, its condition remained unchanged due to the protective lacquer and gold.
