Incense Box with Dragon Design
Unknown Artist
1900s
Medium
Painted wood with flattened ox-horn inlay
Dimensions
{"diameter":{"width":0.072},"overall":{"height":0.036},"inner diameter":{"width":0.066}}
Classification
Miscellaneous
Department
Korean Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Accession Number
1988.54
About this artwork
This incense box is colorfully decorated with the technique of oxhorn plating. The oxhorn was cut, soaked in water, boiled, and then pressed into thin translucent sheets. Since oxhorns are usually rather small, dozens of them were required to fully decorate even a small wooden object. The lid of this container is colorfully illustrated with the imagery of a dragon amid clouds deemed as an auspicious symbol, and its side presents flying dragon and phoenix following one after another.