Kobako (Incense box) - Japanese Lacquer - Edo

Kobako in gold lacquer fundame in the shape of two joined shells, the interior and the bottom in nashi-ji lacquer. One of the two shells has a hiramaki-e decoration of gold lacquer and mura nashi-ji on a black background. It represents a landscape lit by the diffuse light of the moon, crossed by a river and animated by mountains and a valley dotted with trees and thatched cottages. White lacquer highlights for the moon and red lacquer to represent the leaves of a maple

Much appreciated in Japan, the full moon is associated with harvests and work. It is a good omen to contemplate and thank the moon for all its benefits just before the harvest period. A festival dedicated to him in autumn, the Tsukimi ("contemplation of the Moon"). Celebrated primarily by the nobility of the country under the Nara and Heian eras, the harvest festival gradually spread during the Edo era. Now called O-Tsukimi, it is still very popular in Japan nowadays.

The representation of lake landscapes bordered by mountains is frequent: Japan is an island country, but also mountainous. Very steep, located in the center of each island, mountains isolate Japanese landscapes. Most regions have their own symbolic and revered mountain, and climbing the mountains is a pilgrimage. It is thus usual to represent mountains giving way to small plains where the inhabitants dispute the ground with the rice fields and the lakes.

Japan – Edo period (1603 – 1868)
Height : 1.8 inch – Length : 4.8 inch