胡蝶蒔絵硯箱|Writing Box with a Scene from the “Butterflies” Chapter of The Tale of Genji
Unknown Artist
20th century
Medium
Gold lacquer with raised sprinkled design
Dimensions
H. 2 in. (5.1 cm); W. 9 1/4 in. (23.5 cm); L. 10 1/2 in. (26.7 cm)
Classification
Lacquer
Culture & Period
Japan · Meiji period (1868–1912)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Anonymous Gift, from the Collection of the late Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin DeWitt Riegel, 1981
Accession Number
1981.243.2a–m
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite writing box, known as *胡蝶蒔絵硯箱*, depicts a serene scene from the "Butter" chapter of *The of Genji*, Japan's timeless 11th-century novel by Murasaki Shikibu. artwork captures the elegance of Heian-era court life, likely featuring landscapes and boats as graceful elements in the narrative's romantic intrigue. Crafted in the Meiji period (8–1912) yet dated to the 20th centurypossibly a masterful reproduction—this lacquered suzuri-bako held an inkstone and brushes, essential for poetry and calligraphy among samurai, scholars, and ladies of refinement. The box showcases masterful *m...