Box with Grapevines, a Squirrel, and a Garden Scene

Japan, Ryūkyū Islands

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 224

In China, squirrels were traditionally associated with reproductive power and clusters of grapes with abundance, together forming an auspicious theme popular in ink paintings, textiles, and ceramics. Because sons were seen as crucial to carrying on the family name and to supporting their parents in old age, such imagery often expressed a wish for many boys. Similarly, in Korea the combination symbolized longevity and good fortune. Inspired by these conventional associations, the lacquer artisan who designed this box created a playful composition with curling tendrils and plump grapes. These elements are infused with rich texture through the juxtaposition of thick mother-of-pearl with black lacquer, as well as through the addition of fine incised details to the surface of the inlays.

Box with Grapevines, a Squirrel, and a Garden Scene, Lacquered wood with mother-of-pearl inlay, Japan, Ryūkyū Islands

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Box with Grapevines, a Squirrel, and a Garden Scene, Lacquered wood with mother-of-pearl inlay, Japan, Ryūkyū Islands
Box with Grapevines, a Squirrel, and a Garden Scene, Lacquered wood with mother-of-pearl inlay, Japan, Ryūkyū Islands
Box with Grapevines, a Squirrel, and a Garden Scene, Lacquered wood with mother-of-pearl inlay, Japan, Ryūkyū Islands
Box with Grapevines, a Squirrel, and a Garden Scene, Lacquered wood with mother-of-pearl inlay, Japan, Ryūkyū Islands
Box with Grapevines, a Squirrel, and a Garden Scene, Lacquered wood with mother-of-pearl inlay, Japan, Ryūkyū Islands
Box with Grapevines, a Squirrel, and a Garden Scene, Lacquered wood with mother-of-pearl inlay, Japan, Ryūkyū Islands

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