The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 25, 2024

Writing Box (Suzuribako) with the “First Song” (Hatsune) Chapter from the Tale of Genji

Writing Box (Suzuribako) with the “First Song” (Hatsune) Chapter from the Tale of Genji

early 1900s
(1868–1912)
Lacquered wood with gold and silver sprinkled powder (maki-e), foil application (kirikane), and metal inlay
Overall: 22.8 x 26.7 cm (9 x 10 1/2 in.)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Newman T. Halvorson 1970.28
Location: not on view

Description

The design of this box was inspired by an object in the 1639 lacquer wedding set of Chiyohime, the daughter of the shogun (ruler). Information about the set became available in the Meiji period, leading some lacquer artists to emulate its designs. This box features a scene from the chapter “First Song” (Hatsune) of the Tale of Genji, in which Prince Genji and his love Murasaki enjoy her garden. It incorporates the written characters for “first” (初, hatsu) and “sound” (音, ne), indicating the first song of the warbler in spring, associated with the new year—the water dropper for mixing the ink is in the shape of this bird.
  • ?–1970
    Mr. Newman T. [1908–1992] and Mrs. Virginia M. Halvorson [1911–1999], Cleveland, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    1970–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Lee, Sherman E. “The Year in Review for 1970.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art, vol. 58, no. 2, 1971, pp. 22–71. Reproduced: no. 177; Mentioned: p. 71 www.jstor.org
    Grossman, Nancy, James T. Ulak, Marjorie Williams, and Laurence Channing. Art of Japan: Masterpieces from the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 2005. Mentioned and Reproduced: p. 109
    Sŏn, Sŭng-hye. The Lure of Painted Poetry: Japanese and Korean Art. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2011. cat. no. 81
  • Stories in Japanese Art (Japanese art rotation). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 8, 2021-April 3, 2022).
    Japanese Gallery 235 Rotation. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (January 24-October 11, 2020).
    Imagining the Garden. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 24, 2015-March 6, 2016).
    Visions of Landscape: East and West. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 17-March 21, 1982).
    Year in Review: 1970. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 10-March 7, 1971).
  • {{cite web|title=Writing Box (Suzuribako) with the “First Song” (Hatsune) Chapter from the Tale of Genji|url=false|author=|year=early 1900s|access-date=25 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1970.28