Property from the Paul and Helen Anbinder Collection A GOLD-LACQUER WRITING BOXEdo period (1615-1868), 18th century A suzuribako with rounded corners, the inrōbuta (flush-fitting) lid with rounded chiri-i edges, the interior fitted with a tray to the right and an ita (board) to the left cut with recesses for the suzuri (ink stone) and suiteki (water-dropper), the exterior of the lid with equipment for Japanese archery: ya (arrows), ebira (quiver), mitsugake (three-fingered gauntlet), and yumi (bow) beneath a large curtain, the interior of the lid with a pine-clad seashore and two birds, the tray and ita with a pine and waves; the wood substrate covered in black lacquer sprinkled with dense gold hirame , the decoration principally in gold, silver, and black hiramaki-e and takamaki-e , the suiteki of shibuichi with gilding, the rims lead or pewter; with a wood storage box 1 5/8 x 8 3/8 x 7 5/8in (4 x 21.3 x 19.3cm) Provenance Heian Art, Kyoto, December 18, 2000 Exhibited Cornell University, Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, "Scattered Gold and Midnight Gloss, Japanese Lacquer from the Anbinder Collection," March 31-July 8, 2007 Thebination of motifs seen of this writing box refers to a story concerning Minamoto no Yorimitsu (also called Raikō, 948-1021), son of the legendary archer Tada no Mitsunaka. One day Jie Hua, daughter of the great Chinese archer Yang Yaojing, appeared to Raikō in a dream after he had gone to sleep during a hunting expedition on the coast near present-day Osaka. On awakening Raikō found that Jie Hua had left her father's bow and arrows beside him.