Each of the boxes rectangular with rounded corners and decorated with motifs from Hatsune (The First Warbler), Chapter 23 of the tenth-century novel Genji Monogatari (The Tale of Genji) showing the veranda of the Rokujo Mansion surrounded by a lush garden and pond, the first characters of a poem embedded into the imagery in gilt metal and a pair of gilt-metal warblers inlaid; the stationery box lacquered in gold and silver takamaki-e and and hiramaki-e and embellishments of rectangular strips of gold foil, kiri-gane, inlaid silver, gold and coral and a nashiji background, the underside of the cover ornamented with a maple tree and stands of chrysanthemums by a stream with leaves and blossoms of inlaid silver and gold against a nashiji ground continued in the lower interior; the writing box decorated en suite to the stationery box, the underside of the cover with a scene of pine trees and chrysanthemums by a stream, the writing box fitted with a slate inkstone with fundame rim, a removable tray and a circular silver water dropper carved with scrolling vines on a nanako ground and set into a silver and gilt-silver double saucer; rims of both boxes silver