chest;
key;
storage box
- Museum number
- 2015,3056.1
- Title
- Object: Hirin gen'ei 碑林玄英 (Stela Forest in Winter)
- Description
-
Small chest, in two sections hinged together, interior with five drawers, each with vertical strip of inlaid decoration and handle of pendant metal ring. Made of maple wood finished on exterior in lacquer, with metal lock and key. With paulownia storage box.
- Production date
- 2013
- Dimensions
-
Diameter: 34 centimetres
-
Height: 17 centimetres
-
Width: 11 centimetres
- Curator's comments
- Suda Kenji employs 'sashimono', a traditional Japanese technique of wood joinery done without use of nails or any other metal hardware, or adhesive. The first step is to cut pieces of wood accurately, taking the wood grain patterns of each piece into account. Wood is then planed or carved away to create protrusions or indentations that act as joints, which fit together at right angles to make items such as boxes or furniture.
In the kōgei (craft) field, Japanese have had a particular interest in boxes since ancient times. Suda said the boxes were designed to store objects but utility was not their main objective. For him, the space within the box is a source of mystery; a box is capable of enclosing a section of space, and so to open the lid is to gaze into this world. He has been fascinated by this concept of the box and produced many examples while also making other daily use items from wood.
In this example, he chose maple wood as the main material, which has a highly decorative grain. The outside of the box is lacquered with black urushi, which he feels represent the image of a group of stelas standing in the cold winter, as suggested by the title of the object. In contrast, he leaves the original pale colour of the wood for the interior of the box. Another important aspect of the box is the metal lock attached on the anterior surface. This specific form is called ebijō (shrimp lock), which forms an arch like a shrimp. It is the oldest extant type of lock found in Japan with examples in the Shōsō-in, the imperial storehouse at Tōdai-ji, Nara dating to the mid 8th century. In autumn of 2012, Suda had the rare opportunity to personally examine some of the treasures in the Shōsō-in, which in turn inspired him to make this work. He also employed a heart shape for the metal plates of the lock, based on the form of the iron pendants created for horse decoration in the Kofun period, which are present in the Museum's William Gowland collection. Suda said, ‘while I give due consideration to the function of boxes as containers, that is not my only consideration when making them; I also focus on decoration, appearance and texture. Kogei works need to be handled to be fully appreciated’. The box was made with the highest levels of precision and craftsmanship resonating with historical precedent, but it is also very much a creation of the artist himself. (N. Tsuchiya, 2015)
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
Exhibited:
2016 Apr -, London, BM Japanese Galleries, 'Japan from Prehistory to the Present'
- Acquisition date
- 2015
- Department
- Asia
- Registration number
- 2015,3056.1
