8th century
Circular box with straight sides, slightly domed cover, and decoration of green dots against a caramel-brown ground; white earthenware with copper-green and iron-brown lead-fluxed glazes on the exterior; underside of lid and base unglazed. Sancai ware. From northern China, Henan, Hebei, or Shaanxi province.
with cover: H. 3.4 x Diam. 9.3 cm (1 5/16 x 3 11/16 in.)
[Christie's, New York, 16 September 1999, sale number Kang-9210, lot. 290] sold; to Walter C. Sedgwick Foundation, Woodside, CA (1999-2006), partial gift; to Harvard University Art Museums, 2006.
Lacquer on wood with Kōdaiji-style decoration in gold and silver utilizing the hiramaki-e (low-relief sprinkled design), takamaki-e (high-relief sprinkled design), nashiji ("pear-skinned" ground), e-nashiji (pictorial "pear-skinned" ground), and harigaki (linear incising) techniques; [modern] silver fittings
16th centuryJapaneseCeladon ware: light gray stoneware with light bluish-green celadon glaze with a lavender splash on cover; with a square seal reading "Minoru" mpressed into the unglazed base before firing
20th centuryJapaneseGrayish nephrite with off-white inclusions
18th-19th centuryChineseLacquer on wood with decoration in gold and silver utilizing the hiramaki-e (low-relief sprinkled design), takamaki-e (high-relief sprinkled design), nashiji ("pear-skinned" ground), and kanagai (sheet gold and silver appliqué) techniques, with applied kirigane (cut gold and silver) and with sheet-lead inlays; stone, metal, and enamel fittings
17th centuryJudaeanEnameled 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 Longqing nian zao" within a double circle on the base
16th centuryChineseLacquer on wood with decoration in zonsei-nuri (incised and painted lacquer) and gold utilizing the togidashi maki-e (sprinkled design revealed by polishing) technique; silk cord
18th centuryJapaneseSilver
19th centuryPersianLacquer on wood with Kōdaiji-style decoration in gold utilizing the hiramaki-e (low-relief sprinkled design) and e-nashiji ("pear-skinned" ground) techniques; gilt-copper fittings
17th centuryJapaneseLacquer 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 centuryJapaneseLacquer on wood
JapaneseBamboo with carved and stained surface and with brass fittings
18th-19th centuryKorean