Incense Burner (lid)
Unknown Artist
late 1300s
Medium
bronze with metal rim
Dimensions
7.7 × 10.8 cm
Classification
Lacquer
Department
Japanese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Accession Number
1960.195.b
About this artwork
This container's repeated, undulating, rounded sides evoke waves over which the articulated plovers sweep. The bronze cover (probably a later addition) mimics the design of a fishing weir. Overall, the container brings to mind the seashore. The earthy quality of the lacquered surface demonstrates the interaction between a man-made pattern (the plovers) and the somewhat unexpected surface of a natural material such as wood.