Edo/Meiji period, 19th century
Black and red lacquer, gold makie
21.5 x 23 x 30 (h) cm.
Black lacquered tomobako
A sumptuous four-section stacking food container, jubako, on which a continuous design of trailing vines and bunches of grapes wraps around all four sides and lids, of which there are two.
The high-quality makie work, using a range of subtly complementary gold powders, confirms that this piece must have originally belonged to a wealthy Japanese household. It would have been used to present food on celebratory occasions such as New Year.
The design motif of the grape was inherited from China during the T’ang period. It is not native to East Asia, but had been introduced to China through Silk Road trade. Admired for its visual grace, its abundance naturally caused it to become an auspicious symbol promising more wealth, children and good fortune.
Contrasting the black and golden exterior, the interiors are finished in a rich vermillion-red lacquer, and the whole is enclosed in its original black-lacquered, sectioned, paper-lined storage box.