Writing Box with Birdcage, lacquer (19th century) Japanese lacquer artists during the Meiji period utilized gold and silver takamaki-e (raised lacquer) for high relief alongside mother-of-pearl inlay. A rich black lacquer and gyōbu nashiji (large-flake sprinkled gold) ground provide the backdrop for the birdy imagery. This object functioned as a tool for correspondence in a Japanese interior. Loc. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Dim. 3.2 x 14.9 x 21.3 cm (1 1/4 x 5 7/8 x 8 3/8 in.)

Stacked Food Box (Jūbako) with Taro Plants and Chrysanthemums, lacquer (mid-19th century) Japanese artist Shibata Zeshin (1807–1891) designed this tiered food box for celebratory meals like the New Year feast. The exterior features taro plants and chrysanthemum flowers rendered in various gold and silver lacquer techniques. Zeshin combined traditional Edo period methods with modern sensibilities to create a detailed composition inspired by nature. Loc. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Dim. 41.9 x 22.9 x 24.4 cm (16 1/2 x 9 x 9 5/8 in.)

Scrape the lacquer Can't you see, it's all tarnished