Small Chest of Drawers, ‘Uta-awase’ [Poetry Contest]:
Japanese raisin tree wood [Hovenia dulcis Thunb.] with Wiped Urushi Lacquer Finish
Poetry contests started in Japan in the early 9th century as a form of entertainment among the
nobility. Separating into two groups, they would take turns to compose verses of a poem that were then judged for their quality.
Trays containing a model of a miniature suhama [sand-bar beach] coastal
landscape were placed between the two groups and the poems were arranged around this suhama as they were
written.
In this work, the left and right sides symbolize the two teams in the poetry contest, and are joined together in the center by metal fittings in the shape of the suhama to create an expression of the contest.
You could see this piece from 13th September to 25th in Tokyo, and travels around other prefectures until 12th February in 2024.
[DETAIL LINK]第70回日本伝統工芸展-公益社団法人日本工芸会 (nihonkogeikai.or.jp)
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