Clothing Tray (Midare-bako) with Paulownia and “Nine Stars” Crests

The object is a square tray with a low lip around the edges. The tray has a dark brown background color. The tray features various-sized gold and reddish-brown circles and four clusters of leaves. The four clusters of leaves are placed symmetrically on the tray and each cluster has several rounded shapes resembling a leaf. The tray appears to be made of wood and has a glossy finish. The sides of the tray have a gold-colored design. The tray is shown at an angle, with the front-right corner pointing towards the viewer. The background is a plain gray color.

Artwork details

Date:: late 16th century
Medium:: Lacquered wood with gold, silver hiramaki-e and e-nashiji (“pear-skin picture”) on black ground
Culture:: Japan
Dimensions:: 600 × 450 px
Museum record:: View original