Page 301 - JAPAN THE SHAPING OFDAIMYO CULTURE 1185-1868

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223 Writing table 224 Writing table and writing utensil box
11.2 X 58.2 X 34.2 (43/8 X 227/8 X 13 Vk) bundai 9.2 x 59.2 x 35.0 (35/8 x 23^4 x
maki-e and black lacquer, gold and 137/8)
silver on wood suzuribako 6.1 x 23.1 x 24.6 (23/8 x 9 Vio
Momoyama period, loth century X 9«/i6)
Myóhóin, Kyoto maki-e lacquer, gold, silver, and gilt
Important Cultural Property silver on wood
Momoyama period, loth century
This type of bundai, or writing table, is as-
sociated particularly with renga (linked Suntory Museum of Art, Tokyo
verse) gatherings. The bundai was not ac- Important Cultural Property
tually used as a support for writing but Both the bundai (writing table) and the su-
rather to hold the paper on which poems zuribako (writing utensil box) are deco-
would be brushed. This example is said to rated with a combination of bamboo,
have been owned by Toyotomi Hideyoshi paulownia, and the phoenix. In China, the
(1537-1598); its top is decorated with au- phoenix was believed to signal the immi-
tumn flowers and grasses in takamaki-e (re- nent appearance of a virtuous emperor.
lief maki-e) lacquer and cut gold and silver The bird eats bamboo seeds, rests on a
leaf on a black lacquer ground. The sides type of paulownia tree, and drinks from
are covered with hiramaki-e (level maki-e) the fountain of nectar, said to spring only
chrysanthemums and paulownia mon. in an age of perfect peace. This is repre-
The style of the decoration is reminiscent sentative of the lavish Momoyama-period
of the so-called Kôdaiji maki-e, popular in style, in which the takamaki-e (relief
the Momoyama period, which was associ- maki-e} technique, cut gold and silver leaf,
ated with Kôdaiji, a Zen temple in Kyoto and thick gilt silver plate were lavishly
established in 1605 by the widow of To- used. The background is executed in a
yotomi Hideyoshi. The techniques actu- technique known as nashiji (pear-skin
ally employed are mostly traditional ground), a maki-e ground treatment, simi-
Muromachi-period ones, however, so this lar in appearance to the skin of the nashi,
work may be considered a transitional or Japanese pear, in which metal flakes,
piece. SN usually gold, are suspended in lacquer. SN

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