壺蒔絵香箱|Incense Box (Kōbako) in the Shape of Three Overlapping Jars

Barthélémy Paviet

mid-18th century · Lacquered wood with gold and silver takamaki‑e, hiramaki‑e, and togidashimaki‑e on gold ground, with gilded mount · Asian Art

This exquisite box was originally made in Japan in the mid-eighteenth century as an incense container. The lacquer surface is embellished with refined maki-e details, including young pine trees on the exterior of the lid and a continuous seashore on the sides with auspicious motifs. The incense box was exported to Europe either by the Dutch or through the China trade, a route similar to that taken by the Japanese lacquer boxes owned by Queen Marie Antoinette (1755–1793). In Paris, the small box was turned into a jewel-like object by Barthélémy Paviet, who applied gilded mounts over the rims and lined the inside with a gold-like metal sheet.

Artist

Barthélémy Paviet

Date

mid-18th century

Medium

Lacquered wood with gold and silver takamaki‑e, hiramaki‑e, and togidashimaki‑e on gold ground, with gilded mount

Culture

Japan and France

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Bequest of Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, 2019