Incense or make-up box
1500 - 1600
Medium
wood (plant material)
Dimensions
6.4; 6.4; 3.7
About this artwork
On loan from the Royal Asian Art Society in The Netherlands (gift of O.J.Tj.N. Domela Nieuwenhuis)
Art Historical Context
This delicate **Incense or Make-Up Box**, crafted anonymously between 1500 and 1600, exemplifies the refined craftsmanship of 16th-century Asian artistry. Fashioned from wood—specifically plant material—this compact object measures a modest 3.7 cm in height, 6.4 cm in width, and6.4 cm in depth, making it an ideal portable accessory for personal use. Its small scale speaks to the era's emphasis on functional beauty in everyday items. In historical Asian cultures, such boxes served practical yet ritualistic purposes: storing incense for spiritual offerings or cosmetics for daily grooming, blend...
About the Artist
anonymous
In the vast tapestry of art history, "Anonymous" stands not as a singular individual but as a collective designation for countless unidentified creators whose works have endured across millennia. These artists, spanning prehistoric cave painters to medieval illuminators and folk craftsmen, produced the foundational layers of human visual culture. Prior to the Renaissance, when individual fame emer...