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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
292929
label
Writing Box (Suzuribako) with Phoenix in Paulownia (lid)
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
292929
contentType
object
title
Writing Box (Suzuribako) with Phoenix in Paulownia (lid)
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
c. 1573–99
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q79871171
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.a
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 (lid), c. 1573–99. 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.a
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 08:52:15.665000
sourceId
292929
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
c54ecb40c82028b8