A gold-lacquer shikishibako (box for square poem sheets) and cover


Meiji era (1868-1912), circa 1870-1880The rich nashiji ground decorated in gold and silver takamaki-e and hiramaki-e on the outside of the cover with numerous terrapins crawling in different directions amongst tufts of grass, similarly lacquered around all the sides with omodaka (three-leaf arrowheads), lotus and other flowering aquatic plants, the inside of the lid embellished in gold takamaki-e with Kinko Sennin holding a fan and seated astride a giant carp leaping from swirling water, with discreet details inlaid in ivory, tortoiseshell and wood, all on a dense mura-nashiji ground, the inside of box also of mura-nashiji, the underside of nashiji, unsigned; with an unrelated wood storage box. 5.8cm x 24cm x 21.6cm (2¼in x 9½in x 8½in). (3).