Tea Caddy with Design of Turtle 19th century

This 19th-century tea caddy, crafted by the renowned Japanese lacquer artist Shibata Zeshin, is a testament to his mastery of the maki-e technique. The black lacquer surface is adorned with a delicate design of a turtle, its shell rendered in gold, and a flowing stream of water, its movement captured through intricate gold lines. This piece, now part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, exemplifies Zeshin's ability to infuse traditional Japanese aesthetics with a sense of dynamism and detail.