snuff bottle with stopper, unknown maker from Japan

Exhibition Label: "The Art of Stories Told," Jun-2004, Veronica de Jong Carved in low relief from mother-of-pearl is the most significant scene from the prose-poem “Red Cliff” written by Su Shi (1037-1101) in 1082. The same story is illustrated in a handscroll by the Japanese painter Matsumura Goshun (1752-1811) and is also currently on display. Though the scene is small, the Red Cliff appears to be surprisingly lofty and large, its lumpy texture and cropped form contributing to this impression. Three small figures are shown inside a covered boat floating below the cliff, and one assumes they are enjoying poetry and wine in the moonlight. The water’s reflection and the phosphorescent light of the full moon are beautifully suggested by the natural qualities of mother-of-pearl that shimmers when tilted to the light.