9th-10th century
Silver-form, lobed box and cover with indented sides, the box supported on a splayed foot, the domed cover with stylized floral decor raised in thread-relief and lightly embellished with splashes of green; white earthenware with lead-fluxed copper-green splashed glaze over molded decoration; with Chinese ideograph of the surname Zhao (趙) raised in thread-relief on the base. Copper-splashed sancai ware. From northern China, Henan, Hebei, or Shaanxi province.
H. 6.5 x Diam. 6.8 cm (2 9/16 x 2 11/16 in.)
[J. J. Lally & Co., New York, 2002] sold; to Walter C. Sedgwick Foundation, Woodside, CA (2002-2006), partial gift; to Harvard University Art Museums, 2006.
Lacquer on wood with decoration in gold, silver, and aokin (gold-silver) utilizing the hiramaki-e (low-relief sprinkled design), togidashi maki-e (sprinkled design revealed by polishing), nashiji ("pear-skinned" ground), and e-nashiji (pictorial "pear-skinned" ground) techniques; gilt-copper fittings [tray with decoration of cranes in takamaki-e (high-relief sprinkled design) may be a later replacement]
18th centuryJapaneseWood
19th-20th centuryThaiEnameled blue-and-white ware, "wucai" type: porcelain with decoration painted in underglaze cobalt blue and overglaze polychrome enamels; with underglaze cobalt blue mark reading "Da Ming Wanli nian zhi" within a double-square set within a "ruyi" cloud-scroll border on the base
16th-17th centuryChineseIvory plaques mounted on oak, with gilt bronze fittings
12th centuryItalianRed lacquer
ChineseLacquer on wood with Namban-style decoration in gold and silver utilizing the hiramaki-e (low-relief sprinkled design) and harigaki (linear incising) techniques, and with raden (mother-of-pearl) inlays; metal fittings
16th-17th centuryJapaneseLacquer on wood with decoration in gold utilizing the hiramaki-e (low-relief sprinkled design) technique
18th centuryJapaneseCeramic
19th centuryEuropeanMaki-e lacquer;
17th-19th centuryJapaneseLacquer on wood with decoration in gold, silver, and sabi urushi (thick lacquer paste) utilizing the hiramaki-e (low-relief sprinkled design), takamaki-e (high-relief sprinkled design), and nashiji ("pear-skinned" ground) techniques, with applied kirigane (cut gold and silver) and with sheet-lead inlays; stone and metal fittings
17th-18th centuryJapaneseLiao sancai ("three-color") ware: molded ivory-hued earthenware with lead-fluxed, emerald-green and caramel-yellow glazes
11th-12th centuryChinese