Important cultural property
Black lacquer has been applied to the whole surface of the writing box. The mountain range and the scenery at its foot are depicted in the raised maki-e (takamaki-e) and burnished maki-e techniques (togidashi). The shading is expressed with bluish gold, sprinkles of fine and coarse gold dust, and scatterings of small pieces from sheets of gold or silver foil (kirikane) on the rocks. Sumiyoshi-taisha Shrine is depicted on the inside of the cover using the kanagai (metallic nacre) technique of cutting thin sheets of metal into decorative shapes and setting them in lacquer. The water dropper is fashioned in the shape of a rabbit. The interior of the box shows maple leaves and a raft in the waters of a flowing river. The scenery with Mt. Ogura, Sumiyoshi-taisha Shrine, and the Tatsuta river references a waka poem. With its lyrical expression of the desolate landscape using techniques developed at the time, this is a masterpiece among medieval writing boxes.
Search by title, artist, place, style or other key words
2024 January
2024 February
2024 March
2024 April
2024 May
2024 June
2024 July
2024 August
2024 September
2024 October
2024 November
2024 December
2025 January
2025 February
2025 March
2025 April
2025 May
2025 June
2025 July
2025 August
2025 September
2025 October
2025 November
2025 December