Museum Collection

Museum Collection

Tobacco Tray

Handled tobacco tray depicting Musashino Moor in maki-e

Handled tobacco tray depicting Musashino Moor in maki-e
Date Meiji period

A tobacco tray created by Shibata Zeshin, a painter and lacquer artist who was active in the late Edo and early Meiji periods. Rather than the usual black lacquer, he uses a reddish-brown lacquer to express night and a shiny lacquer for autumn grasses. By so doing, he makes them appear illuminated by the large, rusty-silver moon spreading over three surfaces in the background.