Edo period, eighteenth century.
Gold and silver makie on a nashiji ground. Pewter rims. Nashiji interior.
8.3 x 6.9 x 2.5 cm.
The design, which wraps over the slightly domed lid and down the sides of this box, shows a pair of mandarin ducks. The male perches on a rock beneath a flowering plum tree, while the female swims in a stream below. The quality of lacquering is superb, utilising a broad range of techniques, including gold and silver hiramakie , takamakie and kirikane to finely draw the details of the scene and create a sophisticated, three-dimensional design.
As early as the Asuka period (552-646) Japan had followed China 's tradition of regarding the mandarin duck ( oshidori ) as an emblem of conjugal fidelity and joy. From that time pairs such as these became a popular decorative motif. The use of the flowering plum denotes the first signs of Spring following the melancholy winter and captures a feeling of constancy and renewal.