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.
Lacquer on wood with decoration in wakasa-nuri (layered lacquer and gold foil over a thick base-coat impressed with various shapes and sprinkled with raden [mother-of-pearl] flakes), gold, silver, and sabi urushi (thick lacquer paste) utilizing the hiramaki-e (low-relief sprinkled design), takamaki-e (high-relief sprinkled design), and togidashi maki-e (sprinkled design revealed by polishing) techniques, and with tsuishu (carved red lacquer), malachite, and carnelian inlays; stone and metal fittings
18th-19th centuryJapaneseMaki-e designs in gold and silver on nashi-ji lacquer ground
JapaneseLacquer, brown with red underlayer.
Chinese
Box containing reproductions of seventy-one works by Duchamp
20th centuryFrenchLacquer 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), nashiji ("pear-skinned" ground), and kanagai (sheet-gold appliqué) techniques, and with applied kirigane (cut gold and silver)
18th centuryJapaneseLacquer on wood with Kōdaiji-style decoration in gold 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 silver)
16th-17th centuryJapaneseBlue-and-white ware: porcelain with decoration painted in underglaze cobalt blue; with underglaze cobalt blue mark reading "Da Qing Yongzheng nian zhi" on the base
19th centuryChineseGrayish nephrite with off-white inclusions
18th-19th centuryChineseLacquer on wood with decoration in gold, silver, and sabi urushi (thick lacquer paste) utilizing the hiramaki-e (low-relief sprinkled design) and takamaki-e (high-relief sprinkled design) techniques and with sheet-lead and raden (mother-of-pearl) inlays; stone and metal fittings
17th centuryJapaneseInlaid celadon ware: light gray stoneware with celadon glaze over incised decoration partially inlaid in black and white slips
12th centuryKoreanPale greenish white nephrite
18th-19th centuryChineseBronze, with damascened overlays of cut sheet silver, the bronze with induced gunmetal gray surface color
19th-20th centuryKorean