Writing Box (Suzuribako) with Design of Pine, Camellia, and Bamboo (lid)
Unknown Artist
1400s
Medium
Lacquered wood with gold and silver sprinkled powder (maki-e)
Dimensions
{"overall":{"height":0.242,"width":0.226}}
Classification
Lacquer
Department
Japanese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
John L. Severance Fund
Accession Number
1969.124.b
About this artwork
Writing boxes were indispensible personal possessions for the literate of medieval Japan. Beyond containing the tools for artistic expression and communication such as an ink stone, writing brushes, and a water dropper, writing boxes often featured scenes from classical literature or symbolic motifs rendered in a wide array of complex lacquer techniques.