A BLACK- AND GOLD-LACQUER SUZURIBAKO (BOX FOR WRITING UTENSILS)
Edo period (1615-1868), 19th century
Almost square, the flat-topped kabusebuta (overhanging lid) with rounded chiri-i ledge, the exterior decorated in gold, aokin , and colored hiramaki-e , takamaki-e , and togidashi maki-e with embellishments of gold and silver okibirame mosaic against a background of polished black roiro lacquer densely sprinkled with gold hirame flakes, depicting two shishi (mythical Chinese lions) crouching on a rock amid stormy seas and a gilt-metal sun in clouds above, the interior decorated in similar techniques with a saddled but riderless horse grazing beside a stream with peonies along its banks and a silvered-metal moon above, the interior of the box with a bon (brush tray) to the right and an ita (baseboard) to the left enclosing a suzuri (ink-grinding-stone) and a gilt-metal suiteki (water dropper) in the shape of a melon, the rims matte gold fundame lacquer, unsigned
1 5/8 × 8 1/4 × 8 7/8in (4.2 × 21.0 × 22.6cm)