菊に流水模様手拭掛け|Hand-towel Rack (Tenugui kake) with Chrysanthemums and Meandering Stream

Unknown

18th century · Gold and silver maki-e on lacquered wood · Asian Art

The motif of chrysanthemums on a stream recalls the auspicious story of a mythical Chinese river whose water, sweetened by dewdrops from the chrysanthemums growing alongside it, imparts eternal life to anyone who drinks it. The lacquered surface of this small rack is decorated in the “pear skin” (nashiji) technique, in which small flecks of sprinkled gold densely cover the ground area. The rack must have been made as part of a wedding trousseau, as it features two superimposed family crests, one of plum blossoms and the other of nine stars.

Artist

Unknown

Date

18th century

Medium

Gold and silver maki-e on lacquered wood

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 2005