Tiered Food Box (Jūbako) with Garland of Azaleas 1900 - 1912

Curator: We are looking at a beautiful Tiered Food Box, or Jūbako, crafted between 1900 and 1912 by an artist from the Yamamoto Shunshō School. It resides at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: It feels remarkably subdued, almost somber, despite the floral decoration. The darkness of the lacquered wood and even the azaleas somehow evoke a feeling of melancholy. Curator: Interesting! Let's delve into the structure. We have a stacked box format with meticulously rendered azaleas climbing diagonally across each tier. The colour palette is restrained - a harmony of blacks, greys, reds, and golds – creating depth with line. The eye is drawn to the balance and rhythm established by these colours. Editor: It begs the question: who was this made for, and what was its purpose beyond the purely decorative? Was it commissioned? Used in elaborate, gendered domestic settings? Does this item imply certain unspoken power structures? What role might such objects play in a postcolonial moment in time for this artist's society? Curator: I appreciate your point. In purely formal terms, I believe that we can identify here the restrained beauty often prized in Japanese decorative arts. There's an emphasis on elegance in structure. It is, above all, functional: design harmonizing the materials' natural aesthetic qualities to elevate this everyday container. Editor: True, it’s visually balanced and, undeniably, artfully constructed. It's hard not to wonder though, how these refined artistic achievements played into broader conversations concerning socio-political equity. As cultural products, we are correct in seeing it also as an archive for us to deconstruct its context. Curator: Your point helps enrich my appreciation. Looking once again with your question in mind, it adds dimensions to a functional work. Editor: And you’ve heightened my awareness to the artful intent of the piece itself! Perhaps considering our points together we are in a better position to look beyond the object for answers, while not denying its aesthetic values.