Box — SPROUTING BOX, Japan, ca. 1978

Box in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (museum number FE.8-1991), made in Japan, dated ca. 1978, attributed to Suzuki, Masaya. The museum's brief description reads: Japan, modern crafts, studio, lacquer; 'Sprouting Box', wooden base and acrylic lid with black and red lacquer combined with orange, grey, blue and green oil-based paint, 1978, by Suzuki Masaya (1932-2013), Kyoto. Museum description: While the base of the work shown here is constructed and lacquered in the standard manner, its lid is made of carved and polished acrylic. The inside of the base is decorated with diagonal bands of orange and grey oil-based paint. Blue and green paint have been applied to the flat, uncut areas of the acrylic and then covered in black lacquer. The combination of the carving and the high refractive index of the acrylic results in the wildly swirling pattern of colours contained within the confines of the subdued black and red cube. The museum records it as Lacquered and painted wood and carved acrylic, measuring Height 21.5 cm; Width 26.0 cm; Depth 26.0 cm. These details come from the museum's own record; how far this object represents a wider collectible type has not yet been independently verified.