Storage Trunk (Nagamochi) with Family Crests, Pine, and Foliage Pattern
Not on view
This rectangular, portable trunk was designed to hold parts of the wedding trousseau of a high-ranking lady from the Konoe family. The exterior of the trunk and its gilded metal fittings are decorated with a foliage pattern and young pine branches, an auspicious symbol of longevity. A flowering peony, the Konoe family’s crest, is incorporated into the design. The two handles were designed so that a pole could be pulled through them, enabling two people to carry the trunk on their shoulders. One of the gosekke, Kyoto’s five top court aristocratic families, the Konoe were a wealthy and influential clan who intermarried with the imperial, and later shogunal and daimyo, families.
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