Creative Commons License
Vase with Design of Magpie and Peonies
1912-1926 (Taisho period)
Silver, gold, copper
(Japan and Korea )
(Japan and Korea )
The vase’s decoration has auspicious associations with prosperity and long life: in Japan, the magpie is known as the “bird of joy” or “bird of happiness.” Peony, the “king of flowers,” also represents prosperity and nobility. The emblem of the Japanese government—the gold 16-petal chrysanthemum—is placed just below the neck of the vase, suggesting the vase was an imperial commission. The work has a fitted wooden box (tomobako).
Inscription
Measurements
Overall: H: 14 1/8 × Diam: 15 1/2 in. (35.88 × 39.37 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Shirley Z. Johnson, 2019
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
57.2346