Edo period (1615-1868), 17th/18th century The rectangular body with a drop-front door opening to reveal six drawers within, decorated in gold takamaki-e, e-nashiji, kirikane and silver hiramaki-e with a minogame (bushy-tailed turtle) crawling at the foot of a stylised vine-clad pine tree bending over a flowing mountain stream, two paulownia motifs and an aoi-mon (three hollyhock leaves within a circular border), the insignia of the Tokugawa family, scattered among the pine, the design repeated with minor variations around the sides and reverse, the top with a pair of cranes, the inside of the door embellished with a flowering peony shrub issuing from rocks, all on a rich nashiji ground, the six drawers lacquered in silver hiramaki-e, each drawer inscribed in sosho script with the titles of six to twelve chapters, representing the complete 54 chapters of the Tale of Genji, the door with silvered-metal fitted mounts, including the lock plate in the form of a single leaf, the sides of the cabinet applied with two bracket carrying handles, unsigned; with a separate key. 31.2cm x 42cm x 27.5cm (12 1/8in x 16½in x 10 7/8in). (3).