Writing box with moon and wave design

Suzuribako, beautifully ornamented lacquer boxes with compartments for an ink stone, ink stick, water dropper, and brushes, became popular during the Muromachi period (1392-1573). By the Edo period, lacquer artists adroitly combined a variety of materials to produce sumptuous objects of great visual appeal. For this box, the waves and sea spray were rendered in silver, which has oxidized to a pewter-gray color. The moon, too, is a silver disk, and would have flashed brilliantly against the dark background sprinkled lightly with gold flakes.