Tray
A lacquered Japanese tray made of Japanese cedar wood. It is covered with several layers of lacquer, the base layer being black with a gray lacquer layer on top. It has a distinctive painted design of bullfinches on chrysanthemums. These represent longevity and are the symbol of the Japanese emperor. In the centre, a bullfinch watches an ant walking on a blade of grass, while another stares at the sky. In Japan, the bullfinch is a bringer of good luck and a symbol of knowledge. The tray was intended for foreign markets. (KH, HH)
Manufacturing technique: lacquered wood
Dimensions: length: 21.5 cm, width: 22 cm
No. of parts: 1
Current owner: Celje Regional Museum
Date of the last acquisition: 1957–1960
Previous owners and periods of ownership: Alma M. Karlin, Thea Schreiber Gammelin, Celje Regional Museum
Object condition, handling and damage: well preserved
Press releases: HRVATIN, Klara. 2019. Japonski lakirani predmeti [Japanese Lacquerware] in Azija me je povsem uročila [Asia Utterly Bewitched Me] catalogue of the special exhibition on the occasion of the 130th birthday of Alma M. Karlin and the 100th anniversary of her departure on a trip around the world. Celje Regional Museum; Ljubljana: Scientific publishing house of the Faculty of Arts: 55–58.
Do you have a comment or additional information about the subject?