A lacquer suzuribako (writing box)


Edo period (1651-1868), 19th centuryRectangular, with canted corners and decorated in shades of gold, silver, and black hiramaki-e and togidashi maki-e on a rich nashiji ground decorated on the cover with the courtier Nakakuni playing flute outside the gate of Lady Kogo's cottage, the underside of the cover with the cloistered lady accompanying him on the koto beneath an inlaid silver moon, the box fitted with a removable inner tray decorated with blossoming chrysanthemums, an inkstone with fundame edges, and a rectangular water-dropper 8 7/8 x 8 1/4 x 1 1/2in (22.5 x 20.9 x 3.8cm)
|The design on this writing box is taken from an episode in Tales of the Heike. Lady Kogo's great beauty caught the eye of Emperor Takakura (reigned 1168-1180) and he made her his concubine. However, court intrigue forced her to flee the capital and live in exile in Sagano, west of Kyoto. Heartbroken, the Emperor sent the courtier Nakakuni to search for her. Upon learning where Kogo was staying, Nakakuni went there on a moonlit night. When he heard her playing koto, he alerted her to his presence by playing accompanying notes on the flute.