Box for poetry paper with patterned paper c. 1910 - 1925

This box for poetry paper, made by Kamisaka Yukichi, is covered in these fantastic patterned papers; it’s got me thinking about how the simplest objects can carry so much beauty. The material here is all about surface. There’s a gold frame that surrounds an internal picture plane of a gold wash sitting above an area of swirling patterns. The wavy lines down below almost look like tree bark, but in a totally unexpected way. It's so process-oriented; you can imagine Yukichi carefully selecting and placing each piece of paper, building up these layers of texture and color. The placement of this bark-like section feels very deliberate, grounding the piece and creating this sense of depth. It reminds me of some of the collages of Kurt Schwitters, who also was fascinated by the beauty of everyday materials, and how we can transform them through art. This box is a reminder that art is all about looking closely and finding beauty in the unexpected.