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Various Treasure Motifs (Takara tsukushi no mōyō)

Unknown

1877

paint

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Impressionism Realism Ukiyo-e Late 19th Century

Dominant colour

Various Treasure Motifs (Takara tsukushi no mōyō) is a 1877 paint by Unknown, a Impressionism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1877 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This sheet is packed with bright, odd shapes. There are keys, coins, flowers, and strange objects like a clove and a fish. Colors pop—blue, yellow, red—with bold outlines. Some things look real, like a hat or a bag, while others are wild, like a purple flower with a face. The handwritten labels name each object in two languages. A few words stand out: "key," "money," and "soul." These might hint at what these items meant to people long ago. Check out the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more like this.

The story of this work

Overview

A vertical scroll from 1877 depicts a series of stylized treasure motifs, including coins, jewels, and ceremonial objects, arranged in a continuous pattern. The work was acquired in 1905 from Miss Mary Dresser, having previously belonged to Christopher Dresser.

Read the full account in the museum source.