Japanese Lunchbox Set, 1600–1867, 2009.28
Lacquer has been used in the arts of Japan for over 6,000 years. Created from the viscous sap of the urushi tree, the raw toxic material is processed into safe, durable, and luminous surfaces for objects such as this tiered lunchbox. The pleasures of the consumption of food are enhanced by the aesthetic enjoyment offered by this lunchbox’s special compartmented design and decorative motifs, such as the phoenix and aogiri tree (paulownia). During the Edo period (1615–1868), lunchboxes were taken along during hunting sessions or flower-viewing parties.
Japanese
Lunchbox Set, 1600–1867
lacquer
College Transfer from the Asian Studies Department, Bowdoin College
2009.28