The Box: Always Being Reinvented

 Another piece by Kristen Kieffer, I immediately tied it to her corset piece from two blogs back. She uses the same accenting and color scheme, with what appears to be the same material. Instead of a vessel with the appearance of a corset, this uses a similar design but functions as a box. The lid sits inside the rim of the base on this box, an interesting choice that leaves the lid with a less heavy look, which balances the piece quite well.

This box is extremely ornate, and could be anything from a valuable container to a decoration in and of itself. I like the detail in the painting, and it appears as though the box is out-dented where the paint is, which may be a technique employed during the painting process, or the box may actually indent around the flowers. The colors are very vibrant, which works in helping this box stand out.

I really like that this piece shows the material and is 'imperfect'. The entire piece leans slightly to the right and bulges a bit in the middle, and the ornate designs fall out of symmetry, but i think that if it were what could be deemed perfect, it would have absolutely no character. Other than the perfection this piece finds in imperfection, the reddish-brown designs, accompanied by the vibrant blue accents is beautiful.

I like that this incense burner is almost a completely enclosed box, but for the hole in the top covered by the metal mesh cap. The natural scenes painted on the sides are beautiful, much like other paintings and artwork from the Tokugawa period. It may be because I am enthralled with the style and technique that the Japanese artists used during that era, but this box immediately caught my attention among a group of others.