Highlight objects at Buckingham Palace
Learn more about the decorative arts on display at Buckingham Palace this summer
Mounted bowl and cover
late 17th to early 18th century, mounts: mid 18th centuryWood decorated in black and gold lacquer, mounted in gilt bronze | 29.8 x 38.7 x 31.4 cm (whole object) | RCIN 3152
This seventeenth-century Japanese bowl is covered with lacquer, a waterproof varnish made from tree sap. The sprinkled gold decoration is of such high quality that it was likely made for a Japanese patron, rather than the European export market. The swirling lotus design is derived from Buddhist iconography: the lotus is the seat of the meditating Buddha and represents purity and enlightenment amid the swirling mists and swamp. Lavish gilt-bronze mounts were added to the bowl in France to transform the bowl from a water basin to an imposing decorative piece.