Burnished Beauty

Lacquer ware shares some of the mysterious quality of glassware, an extra unnameable dimension combining reflection, shimmer, and sparkle.

Along with Buddhism, lacquer ware came to Japan from China sometime before the Common Era began. Lacquer can be made from a variety of substances but Japanese lacquer is made from the sap of a native Sumac tree.
At one time a rarity reserved for the Imperial Household, lacquer came to be used to decorate items of everyday use like cosmetic cases, writing desks, and containers for storing or eating food (think: bento box). The handled case is decorated with flowers of autumn, chrysanthemums, campaniles, and carnations, a reflection of the importance ascribed to the changing seasons.

To create the effects we see here, first the lacquer is painted on the wooden surface and allowed to dry for 24 hours. Then to be made durable, the process needs to be repeated several times. Although we usually think of varnishes as being clear, colored lacquers became fashionable during the 18th century.
One of the loveliest variations is the “sprinkled picture” or maki-e, wherein gold or silver powder is painted onto the wet lacquer. The gold and midnight blue ink stone case, c. 1630, from the Saint Louis Art Museum intimates shadows and soft winds as it shimmers.
Another technique is nashiji or “pear-skin ground”. Gold or silver flakes are sprinkled into the lacquer, usually for background, then burnished with a specially prepared lacquer, creating a creamy appearance.

Boxes made in the sh ape of the melon flower and the lute are examples of harmonizing the the design and the use of a container.

Ingenious entertainments are provided by the "deer boxes" that fit together like a puzzle or the black and gold chrysanthemum boxes that fit into each other - if you follow the correct order.

Representations of beauty in nature are common and often refer to familiar verses of the great traditional poets. (It helps to know your Japanese poets when looking at pictures.) Thereby they offer a window into human emotions. There are also Meisho, images of recognized scenic places, like the one below that illustrates an episode from The Tale of Genji.