Incense Box 1876

Curator: What strikes me immediately is how delicate it is. The box practically glows with iridescent inlays, despite the fact it's made from ceramic! Editor: Indeed. We are looking at an incense box, crafted by Ogawa Shomin around 1876 during Japan's Meiji period. It's part of the decorative arts collection here at the Met. It really stands out, given the broader social changes at the time, particularly how Japan was engaging with Western influences. Curator: Yes, there’s an undeniable Japonisme element at play, right? The motif of stylized flowers and small birds in flight seems steeped in tradition, while the industrial revolution also has a place, as Japan shifted to adapt Western production technologies. But it does possess a quiet beauty. Editor: Absolutely, and the artist’s embrace of new and traditional methods reflects this transition. Note the way they play on contrasting textures. Curator: It looks like a celebration of nature's fragility in a period defined by increasing industrial strength. How did objects such as this influence—and were influenced by—larger cultural and political forces at the time? I wonder how its function intersected with the aesthetic ideals of the era. Editor: We can delve into this piece as a commodity, an emblem of taste, a tool of ritual, and an emblem of its national identity formation. Consider the rise of international exhibitions; what role did decorative art like this play in constructing Japan's global image? The symbolic power that it has remains highly potent. Curator: It certainly sparks curiosity, inviting reflections beyond aesthetics to consider its broader cultural implications. Editor: Precisely, a reminder that art always participates in broader socio-political landscapes. I hope our conversation encourages our listeners to explore not only beauty, but the historical depth intertwined within objects that appear ornamental.