Octagonal food box with Chinese immortals and floral design

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Octagonal food box with Chinese immortals and floral design by Momoyama Period. Black lacquer octagonal food box. The box is rounded at the sides with eight flat sides on the base. The box has eight rounded rectangular and circular cutout panels on the body, with gold lacquer interior. The box is done in a shakudo and gold inlay technique. The base has a band of chrysanthemums around the foot. The sides depict Chinese immortals in a landscape with clouds. The immortals are Li Tieguai, Zhongli Quan, and Liu Hai. The entire box and cover are decorated with a dense geometric pattern. The top of the cover is decorated with a geometric pattern of eight interlocking rings. The background of the image is grey with a dark vignette. The box sits on a light gray surface. The lighting is diffuse with a shadow to the right. The box is photographed from a 3/4 view.