Drum Body with Lotus Pond Design

  • Azuchi-Momoyama period, 16th century
  • Maki-e lacquer on wood
  • H-25.4 D-10
  •  
    Miho Museum
Catalogue Entry

Momoyama period, 16th century
Height, 25.4cm; mouth diameter, 10.0cm

Drum cylinder for a small drum. Coated overall in black lacquer. A lotus pond pattern in makie spreads across the entire surface. Rippling water, lotus flowers, leaves, and stems are depicted with a lively sense of movement. This work includes the Kodaiji makie techniques of gold hiramakie with enashiji patterning and the detailed use of tsuke-gaki, kaki-wari, and hari-gaki lacquer drawing techniques. The traces of worm-holes drawn on the leaves are unique to the Kodaiji makie style.

While the lotus pond motif was mainly used on Buddhist implements during the Heian and Kamakura periods, its use on this pre-modern era musical instrument avoids a specifically religious feeling. AH