Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: The Museum Year 2009
The Year
Acquisitions
Art of Asia, Oceania, and Africa: July 2008–June 2009
Plaque with decoration of the vegetable nehan
1888
Shibata Zeshin
Framed: 75 x 106 x 4 cm (29 1/2 x 41 3/4 x 1 9/16 in.)
Unframed: 24 13/16 x 36 13/16 in. (63 x 93.5 cm)
Lender accessory: 84 x 111.1 x 10.5 cm (33 1/16 x 43 3/4 x 4 1/8 in.)
Lacquered wood
Classification: Lacquer works
Culture: Japanese
Period: Meiji era
Accession number: 2008.1413
Provenance/Ownership History: 1888, purchased by Iwasaki Yanosuke from the artist; Shôda Heigorô, relative of the Iwasaki family; 2008, partial gift of Gallery Chikuryudo, Inc., Tokyo, to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (Accession date: December 17, 2008)
Museum purchase with funds donated anonymously and by exchange from the William Sturgis Bigelow Collection, Charles Goddard Weld Collection, Bequest of Major Henry Lee Higginson, Gift of Dr. Ernest G. Stillman, Denman Waldo Ross Collection, Bequest of Thomas Gold Appleton, Charles Bain Hoyt Fund, John Gardner Coolidge Collection, Julia Bradford Huntington James Fund, Gift of Arthur Croft-The Gardner Brewer Collection, Gift of Mrs. Albertine W. F. Valentine residuary legatee under the will of Hervey E. Wetzel, Gift of Major Henry Lee Higginson, Gift of Louisa W. and Marian R. Case, Bequest of Mrs. Lydia S. Hays, Gift of Mrs. G. Winthrop Brown, G. Winthrop Brown, Jr. and Mrs. E. Paul Love in memory of G. Winthrop Brown, Gift of Miss Lucy T. Aldrich in memory of Miss Minnie A. MacFadden, Anonymous gift, Susan Cornelia Warren Fund, Gift of Miss Emma Rodman, Gift of Miss Lucy T. Aldrich and partial gift of Gallery Chikuryudo Inc.