Untitled

Unknown

18th century · Red lacquer with painted decoration, inlaid with mother-of-pearl · Asian Art

Butterflies and flowers are often found in the visual arts of China and the Ryūkyū Islands in the eighteenth century. The butterflies decorating this cabinet were painted in black and gold lacquer and inlaid with pearl shell. The overall shape of the cabinet and the four small feet show parallels to Japanese art. A large opening in the shape of a swastika in the cabinet's back wall suggests that it was once used to house Buddhist sutras or religious paraphernalia.

Artist

Unknown

Date

18th century

Medium

Red lacquer with painted decoration, inlaid with mother-of-pearl

Culture

Japan (Ryūkyū Islands)

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Gift of Florence and Herbert Irving, 2015