karabitsu　唐櫃

KEY WORD :　art history / crafts

A Chinese-style chest used to store clothes, arms, personal effects, sutra srolls (in this case called kyoukarabitsu 経唐櫃) and other valuables. Rectangular in shape, with four or six legs, lid and lock, they are of plain wood, vermilion-lacquered, or lacquered with sprinkled precious metals *makie 蒔絵 or mother-of-peral inlay *raden 螺鈿. Lavish Heian period examples are preserved at Kongoubuji 金剛峯寺 on Mt. Kouya 高野 and Houryuuji 法隆寺. Originally utilitarian, they were sometimes later also treated as art objects.

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