Koto (Zither)
Unknown Artist
early to mid-1800s
Medium
Wood with colored lacquer, sprinkled gold powder (maki-e), textile, and silk strings
Dimensions
l. 117.8 cm · widest end: l. 23.8 cm
Classification
Musical Instrument
Department
Japanese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
The Charles G. King Jr. collection; Gift of Ralph King in memory of Charles G. King Jr.
Accession Number
1918.359
About this artwork
This koto has an elaborately decorated surface, suggesting that it was meant to be admired as a decorative object rather than played as a musical instrument. The vertical design shows a profusion of chrysanthemum flowers and miscanthus grass above a brushwood fence as well as a pair of butterflies.