by KODA Katei (1886-1961)
Early Showa period, 1930s
Black and gold lacquer,
with shell and metal inlays
19 x 16.5 x 3.5 cm
Signed and sealed black lacquer tomobako
tsu ra nu ki, to me, nu tama so, chi ri, ke ri
Glistening dewdrops
fiercely blown by the wind
across an autumn field.
Incessantly forced to scatter
Like pearls from a broken string
The title of this work Asayasu waka suzuribako, confirms that the artist has taken inspiration from the work of Heian period poet Funya no Asayasu (9-10th century).
The hiragana characters in gold makie, metal and shell inlay become the dewdrops, as if their fluid form has created the poem itself through the random act of the wind. They are set against an exquisite ground of black on black lacquer minutely detailing a field of bush clover, hagi. The choice of plant – a metaphor for the ephemeral nature of life – reinforces the transience of the scene. It is a night-time setting, confirmed on opening the box by the silver water dropper, suiteki, in the form of a waning gibbous moon, which coupled with autumnal bush clover evokes the melancholy of the impending season.
The delicacy of the work and its smaller size suggest that this was apiece commissioned for a woman. The artist was the younger brother of Koda Shuetsu (1881-1933), here working in the innovative style shut off that was influenced by the work of 16th century artist Koetsu and the rinpa style. It is a work of ashide-e (lit. ‘reed script picture’), a uniquely Japanese art form, where the cursive calligraphy serves as both text and illustration in the representation of a poem.