japaneseaesthetics: A fine gold lacquer writing box (suzuribako) Taisho period (early 20th century)
A fine gold lacquer writing box (suzuribako)
Taisho period (early 20th century), Japan
Decorated with a classical scene of Uji bridge with weeping willows, rock baskets and a water wheel in stylized waves and clouds designed in several shades of gold hiramakie andtakamakie, fundame, nashiji and a gold-brown ground with embellishments of gold foil, mother-of-pearl and large swaths of gyobu nashiji in the clouds, the underside of the cover decorated with a flock of plovers in gold hiramakie before a large inlaid-gold sun against a dense nashiji ground, the interior of the box nashiji with a continuation of the plover flock and repeated again in the silver water dropper cast as plovers in flight, their legs and eyes gilt, the dropper set into a three-tier gilt, silver and shakudo reservoir, the rectangular ink stone lacquered fundame on the edges, the removable inner tray supporting two writing brushes, a paper pricker, knife, and ink stick holder, all decorated in gyobu nashiji and with shakudo nanako hardware decorated with chrysanthemum and paulownia family crests in goldtakazogan, the box rims silver
10 1/8 x 9 1/8 x 2in (25.7 x 23.2 x 5.1cm). Text and images via Bonhams
