UNSIGNED, EDO PERIOD (18TH CENTURY)

Details

A Suzuribako [Box for Writing Utensils]
Unsigned, Edo Period (18th Century)
With overhanging lid, slightly bowed sides and rounded corners, the exterior black lacquer ground densely sprinkled with hirame, decorated in gold, aokin, silver and coloured hiramaki-e and togidashi-e with rocks, hills, maples, pines and a stream, and with characters hidden in the design; the interior of the lid with a related landscape design in the same techniques; the interior of the box with maple-clad hills in the same techniques, set with an inkstone in the centre and brush rests to either side, the associated silver suiteki [waterdropper] with cherry blossom, slight old wear and cracking to inside of cover
1¾ x 9 5/8 x 9 1/8in. (4.4 x 24.5 x 23.2cm.)

Special notice

VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price plus buyer's premium

Lot Essay

The scene depicted here is the Tatsuta River, famous for its russet autumn foliage and the characters hidden in the design are most likely taken from a poem by Ariwara no Narihira (825-880):

Chihayaburu
kamiyo mo kikazu
Tatsutagawa
karakurenai ni
mizu kukuru to wa

Tatsuta River -
even when gods walked the earth
never have I heard
your waters were as crimson
as if soaked in Chinese dye

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