Creative Commons License
Plum Blossom-Shaped Kogo
(Japan and Korea )
This small kogo (box) is made in the traditional Japanese plum blossom form. It comprises five shallow lobes uniformly distributed around a central point. The kogo is covered on the exterior with cut slices of abalone shell placed to create a pattern of delicate waves. The interior and underside are decorated with a pattern of scattered gold flakes suspended in clear lacquer. This pattern, called nashiji, is common to many later Edo and Meiji period lacquer works. The lid and lower portion of the kogo are decorated with a continuous pattern that when aligned correctly masks the divide between the lid and the lower section. The divide between the two parts results in an upper portion that is roughly 1/3 of the height of the box. Functionally, a box of this type might be used for incense or to hold similar small things, but most often these serve a purely decorative purpose. Works of this type are referred to in Japanese culture as "having been made to be held in the hand." They are deliberately of a scale meant for the palm, and as with this work, the surface pattern leads the eye across and around the surface to encourage constant physical movement.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Purchased by Gordon J. Brodfuehrer, Ippodo Gallery, New York, 2010; given to Walters Art Museum, 2014.
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 4/17/2014 | Examination | Examined for accession |
| 4/17/2014 | Examination | The box is in excellent condition. The box is decorated with mother of pearl from an abalone shell. The thin veneer of shell is adhered using black urushi lacquer. Shaping the shell to the curved box has caused cracks that are part of the design along with the iridescence of the shell and the black urushi. The interior and underside are decorated with sprinkled gold flake or makie. |
Geographies
Japan (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 2 1/16 × W: 2 9/16 in. (5.3 × 6.5 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Gordon J. Brodfuehrer, 2014
Location in Museum
Not on view
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.
67.676