Box for Writing Implements with Design of Squirrels among Grapes, 17^th century
Ryukyuan
Lacquer with gold and mother-of-pearl inlay
Founders Society Purchase with funds from Collins Holding Company, Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Endicott, and an anonymous donor
81.683

It is thought that boxes for writing implements, larger boxes for stationery, and tables were travel accessories for the feudal lords of southern Japan who controlled much of the trade between Japan and the Ryukyu Islands to the south during the Edo period. Ryukyuan lacquer craftsmen used locally harvested mother-of-pearl, prized for its superior color, to create inlaid works for patrons in the islands, China, and Japan.

The pairing of squirrels with grapes is a visual pun for fertility. It was an exceedingly popular motif throughout East Asia in paintings and the decorative arts from the 17^th century onward. Here the undulating edge of the writing box cover is a sensitive complement to the incised inlay intertwined with painted gold embellishment.