Winchester College possesses the Japanese box below. Watch this short video to learn about the object. Beneath the video I give a more complete description of it and its symbolism and more information about lacquer and techniques used.
The above Japanese box is from either the 18th or 19th century, and can be viewed in the Treasury at Winchester College. It was given to the College as part of the Duberly Collection in 1978, and features in the catalogue of the same collection, linked below. It was gifted to Major Montagu and Lady Eileen Duberly on Christmas Day, 1967. The box was made using traditional Japanese techniques.
On the box are two painted cocks next to two sprays of leaves. The gold and red foreground contrasts greatly with the black ground. The interior, including the underside of the cover, has a speckled brown ground. The box is 9 centimetres wide.
In Japan, the crowing of the cock lured Amaterasu, Goddess of the Sun, out of the cave where she had been hiding. It is therefore associated with courage and the raucousness of the deities. It is the tenth of the twelve animal symbols of the Chinese zodiac.
In China (and for the most part Japan), cocks are used for oaths and sacrifices. The cock is the chief embodiment of the yang element and represents the warmth of life and the universe. The comb on their heads show that they have a literary spirit. Much like ducks (issuu.com/godtres/docs/ducks), they represent matrimonial fidelity, especially when pictured with a hen.
Lacquer comes from the sap of a tree (specifically Rhus verniciflua) which is common throughout China and Japan. Nowadays, the word lacquer is loosely used too refer to types of commercial paint, but technically the word should only be used to refer to the sap. There are other less common trees that were also used for lacquering. The sap is poisonous and has a similar effect on humans as poison ivy.
The lacquer is usually scarlet and black and painted onto objects made from wood or cloth to make them water-resistant, often in multiple layers. The lacquer could then be carved, painted and incised with designs, or inlaid with gems. In this example the lacquer has been painted and a technique called Maki-e has been used. Maki-e is a distinctive characteristic of Japanese lacquerware. 'Maki' means sprinkling and 'e' means design. Metal powder is sprinkled and then fixed onto the lacquer.
Winchester College – Collections: winchestercollections.co.uk/collection/kidney-shaped-box-and-cover
Winchester College Treasury: treasury.winchestercollege.org
'The Duberly Collection of Chinese Art at Winchester College': treasury.winchestercollege.org/new-design/pages/forms/duberly-collection-of-chinese-art
Comments