Collection
Portable Box for Tea Utensils (Chabako) with Maki-e Design
| Portable Box for Tea Utensils (Chabako) with Maki-e Design |
| Height 12.9 cm, width 19.0 cm, depth 11.3 cm; Edo period, 18th century; Gift of the Ii Family |
Against a cloud-like pear-skin ground (mura-nashiji), this tea chest features designs in maki-e of plovers flying over reeds at the edge of water, bush clovers in a field, and cherry blossoms in a mountain village. The box contains a set of tea utensils for serving tea out of doors: a chasen bamboo whisk and holder, chakin (cloth) case, tray, tea scoop, natsume tea container, furidashi sweets container, teabowl, and feather brush (habōki). Lavished with fine lacquer decoration and scenes inspired by waka poetry, the set depicts themes expressing classical elegance.
