jikirou　食籠

KEY WORD :　art history / crafts

A lidded food container, usually layered and lacquered with decorations of sunken gold *chinkin 沈金, carved lacquer *choushitsu 彫漆, mother-of-pearl inlay *raden 螺鈿, or metal leaf decoration, haku-e 箔絵, or sometimes of plain black lacquer, woven bamboo, or pottery. Round, quadrilateral hexagonal, octagonal and circular flower shapes are common. Made in Yuan and Ming period China and in the Ryuukyuu 琉球 (now Okinawa prefecture), jikirou have been imported to Japan since the Kamakura period. See *karamono 唐物. They were later used as sweets containers at tea ceremonies. A common type is the juubako 重箱 (tiered food box) usually covered with *makie 蒔絵 and consisting of two, three, five or more tiers to store cooked rice, stewed dished, fish, or raw vegetables separately. In the Edo period juubako were common at picnics, and used with sagejuu 提重 (a picnic box holding various food and beverage containers in a light and compact form). The upper classes had highly decorated lacquer boxes while the lower classes had plain wood or unadorned lacquered grounds.

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