Writing Box (Suzuribako) with Woodcutter 19th century

This writing box was created in Japan during the Edo period by Ogata Kōrin, using lacquer and inlaid materials. In feudal Japan, the class system was rigid and dictated many aspects of life, including artistic expression. Kōrin, born into a wealthy merchant family, straddled the line between the merchant class and the samurai class, who were traditional patrons of the arts. His art reflects this complex social position, often celebrating the beauty of everyday life while subtly commenting on social hierarchies. The image of the woodcutter is interesting. Woodcutters were members of the working class, yet here he is immortalized on a luxurious object owned by a member of the upper class. In Kōrin’s depiction the labor is ennobling, yet there is a poignant sense of distance between the woodcutter and the owner of the box. It invites us to reflect on the stories we tell about labor, value, and the lives of those whose work often goes unnoticed.