A LACQUER WRITING BOX (SUZURIBAKO)

TAISHO PERIOD (EARLY 20TH CENTURY), SIGNED SHUNSHO AND SEALED KAGEMASA

Details

A LACQUER WRITING BOX (SUZURIBAKO)
taisho period (early 20th century), signed shunsho and sealed kagemasa
Of rounded rectangular shape designed with a scene of the Noda (Chidori) River in Mutsu province, a willow tree and baskets of stones in the river in low-relief gold lacquer, black lacquer, simulated pewter, mother-of-pearl, raised gold lacquer, togidashi, kimpun and roiro-nuri, the interior decorated with gold lacquer plovers (chidori) flying across the night sky rendered in roiro-nuri; fitted with a removable tray containing a plum-shaped stippled silver mizuire within a gilt-silver frame and with an inkstone mounted in silver along the upper edge and applied in roiro and nashiji on the base; box base also roiro and nashiji
8 x 6¾ x 1 1/8in. (20.2 x 17. x 2.8cm.)

Lot Essay

A poem on the theme by the mid Heian-period priest-poet Noin is included in the Shin Kokinshu anthology:

yu sareba
shiokaze koshite
michi no ku no
noda no tamagawa
chidori nakunari

When evening comes on
the salty breezes blow in
to Michi no Ku
and the plovers' calls are heard
on Noda's Jewel River¹

1. Translated by Joe Earle