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Source Description
The only place the mythical phoenix will perch is in the paulownia tree. Along with the dragon, the bird is a symbol of imperial power in East Asia. This box––a container for an inkstone, brushes, and ink––is both functional and lavish, its dramatic effects achieved with a pear-skin ground decoration (<em>nashiji</em>) and sprinkled powder decoration in high relief (<em>takamaki-e</em>).
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
285876
label
Writing Box (Suzuribako) with Phoenix in Paulownia
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
285876
contentType
object
title
Writing Box (Suzuribako) with Phoenix in Paulownia
description
The only place the mythical phoenix will perch is in the paulownia tree. Along with the dragon, the bird is a symbol of imperial power in East Asia. This box––a container for an inkstone, brushes, and ink––is both functional and lavish, its dramatic effects achieved with a pear-skin ground decoration (<em>nashiji</em>) and sprinkled powder decoration in high relief (<em>takamaki-e</em>).
date
late 1500s
citation
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q79870513
genreSpecific
Lacquer
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
4 x 20.5 x 23.5 cm (1 9/16 x 8 1/16 x 9 1/4 in.)
cul
Japan, Momoyama period (1573–1615)
accession
2016.34
Source extras
tec
Lacquer on wood with sprinkled gold and silver powder (maki-e) and gold and silver foil application
tombstone
Writing Box (Suzuribako) with Phoenix in Paulownia (桐に鳳凰金銀蒔絵硯箱), late 1500s. Japan, Momoyama period (1573–1615). Lacquer on wood with sprinkled gold and silver powder (maki-e) and gold and silver foil application; 4 x 20.5 x 23.5 cm (1 9/16 x 8 1/16 x 9 1/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund, 2016.34
titleInOriginalLanguage
桐に鳳凰金銀蒔絵硯箱
collection
Japanese Art
didYouKnow
In contrast to the bright, celebratory motifs on the exterior, the interior of the box invites a more reflective mood with its autumn moonlit sky over chrysanthemums.
citations
citation
"New in the Galleries.” <em>Cleveland Art: Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine</em> 57, no. 1 (January/February 2017): Back cover.
page_number
Reproduced and Mentioned: Back cover
citation
Vilbar, Sinéad. “Acquisition Highlights 2016: Japanese Art.” <em>Cleveland Art: Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine</em> vol. 57, no. 2 (March/April 2017): 18–19.
page_number
Reproduced: pp. 5, 19; Mentioned: p. 19
creditline
Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund
updatedAt
2026-05-29 08:51:46.406000
sourceId
285876
dept
Japanese Art
coll
Japanese Art
med
Lacquer on wood with sprinkled gold and silver powder (maki-e) and gold and silver foil application
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
312aa3656c7393f2