A Lacquer Writing Box (Suzuribako)

A Lacquer Writing Box (Suzuribako)
(Early 20th century)
Rectangular and designed in two shades of gold, silver, black and red lacquer raised in relief with nashiji and hirame embellishments against a bright kinji ground with a mirror, Noh musical instruments and a storage box, the underside of the cover designed with a biwa player silhouetted against a silver moon (biwa hoshi) among clouds in gold and silver hiramaki-e, togidashi and kirigane, the interior fitted with a removable tray decorated with pan pipes in gold hiramaki-e and fitted with a copper chrysanthemum water dropper and a rectangular ink stone, interiors nashiji with fundame edges
9 x 8 3/8 x 1¾in. (22.9 x 21.3 x 4.5cm.)