Detail of the Bridal Palanquin in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, March 2019

Bridal Palanquin (Onna norimono) with Arabesque Foliage, Wild Ginger Leaves, and Family Crests (Owned by Princess Atsu-hime)
1856


Object Details

Period: Edo period (1615–1868)

Date: 1856

Culture: Japan

Medium: Lacquered wood with gold and silver hiramaki-e; gilt and silvered copper fittings; interior paintings: ink, color, and gold on paper; blinds: bamboo and silk; window screens: silk

Dimensions: H. 50 3/4 in. (128.9 cm); W. 188 in. (477.6 cm); D. 38 1/8 in. (96.8 cm)

Classification: Lacquer

Credit Line: Lent by Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; Purchase -- Smithsonian Collections Acquisition Program


This bridal palanquin was commissioned in 1856 to transport Atsu-hime (1836–1883), wife of the thirteenth Tokugawa shogun, Iesada. On the exterior is hiramaki-e arabesque foliage, the Tokugawa family crest consisting of three wild ginger leaves, and the flowering-peony crest of the Konoe family. The long beam would have been carried by six men as the princess made her way to the groom’s residence. The inside features a scene from Chapter 23 of The Tale of Genji, “First Song of Spring” (Hatsune) and two scenes from Chapter 24, “Butterflies” (Kochō), and the rear panel bears an image of the mythical paradisal island of Mount Hōrai. These views celebrated marriage, conveyed happiness, and carried auspicious meaning. They were also associated with ideal womanhood and suitable female conduct.

Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/720706