| Pair of Incense Boxes in the Shape of Mandarin Ducks | |
|---|---|
| Japanese: 鴛鴦形蒔絵香合 | |
 The pair of ducks set on their tray | |
| Year | 17th century |
| Medium | Lacquer |
| Location | Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has a pair of 17th-century Japanese lacquered wood incense boxes in the shape of mandarin ducks in its collection.
The pair of boxes ( Kōgō ) were used to hold sticks of incense, used in Zen Buddhist ceremonies. The two boxes are shaped like mandarin ducks (Aix galericulata), which were considered symbols of marital bliss and fidelity. Both the ducks and their stand are made from wood covered in gold lacquer. [1] The top of the stand is decorated with groups of pond plants.
The ducks were donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art as part of the bequest of Benjamin Altman in 1913. [1]
Furniture refers to objects intended to support various human activities such as seating, eating (tables), storing items, working, and sleeping. Furniture is also used to hold objects at a convenient height for work, or to store things. Furniture can be a product of design and can be considered a form of decorative art. In addition to furniture's functional role, it can serve a symbolic or religious purpose. It can be made from a vast multitude of materials, including metal, plastic, and wood. Furniture can be made using a variety of woodworking joints which often reflects the local culture.
The mandarin duck is a perching duck species native to the East Palearctic. It is sexually dimorphic; males showing a dramatic difference from the females. It is medium-sized, at 41–49 cm (16–19 in) long with a 65–75 cm (26–30 in) wingspan. It is closely related to the North American wood duck, the only other member of the genus Aix. 'Aix' is an Ancient Greek word which was used by Aristotle to refer to an unknown diving bird, and 'galericulata' is the Latin for a wig, derived from galerum, a cap or bonnet. Outside of its native range, the mandarin duck has a large introduced population in the British Isles and Western Europe, with additional smaller introductions in North America.
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