Storage Trunk (Nagamochi) with Family Crests, Pine, and Foliage Pattern second half of the 18th century Japan This rectangular, portable trunk was designed to hold parts of the wedding trousseau of a high-ranking lady from the Konoe family. The exterior of the trunk and its gilded metal fittings are decorated with a foliage pattern and young pine branches, an auspicious symbol of longevity. A flowering peony, the Konoe familys crest, is incorporated into the design. The two handles were designed so that a pole could be pulled through them, enabling two people to carry the trunk on their shoulders. One of the gosekke, Kyotos five top court aristocratic families, the Konoe were a wealthy and influential clan who intermarried with the imperial, and later shogunal and daimyo, families.. Storage Trunk (Nagamochi) with Family Crests, Pine, and Foliage Pattern. Japan. second half of the 18th century. Lacquered wood with gold and silver takamaki‑e and hiramaki‑e on nashiji (“pear-skin” groun