second half 12th century
H. 1.8 x Diam. 8.8 cm (11/16 x 3 7/16 in.)
Gregory (1922-1988) and Maria C. Henderson (1923-2007), Medford, MA (by 1969-1988), inherited; by Maria C. Henderson, Medford, MA (1988-1991), partial gift and partial purchase; to Harvard University Art Museums, 1991.
Ivory plaques mounted on oak, with gilt bronze fittings
12th centuryItalianMetal
11th-13th centuryPersianEnameled blue-and-white ware, "wucai" type: porcelain with decoration painted in underglaze cobalt blue and overglaze polychrome enamels; with spurious overglaze red enamel mark reading "Chenghua nian zhi" on the base
17th centuryChineseQingbai ware: molded porcelain with pale sky-blue glaze; with molded inscription reading "Wu Jia He ___" on the base
12th-13th centuryChineseSilver
Unidentified cultureWood with metal fittings
20th centuryKoreanPale green neprhite; the inscription picked out in gold
19th centuryChineseLacquer on wood with decoration in gold and silver utilizing the hiramaki-e (low-relief sprinkled design), takamaki-e (high-relief sprinkled design), and nashiji ("pear-skinned" ground) techniques, and with applied kirigane (cut gold and silver)
17th-18th centuryJapaneseLacquer, brown with red underlayer.
ChineseMetal
19th centuryFrenchLacquer on wood with decoration in gold and silver utilizing the hiramaki-e (low-relief sprinkled design) and e-nashiji (pictorial "pear-skinned" ground) techniques; stone and copper fittings
17th centuryJapanese