Meiji era (1868-1912), late 19th/early 20th century Both embellished in contrasting tones of gold takamaki-e, hiramaki-e, and togidashi maki-e with details executed in kirikane and e-nashiji, the decoration as follows: on the lobed kabusebuta (overlapping lid) of the suzuribako: a waterfall cascading down bamboo and pine-clad craggy landscape into a mountain river along the rocky shores of which grow young pine saplings, the design extending down the sides, the inside of the lid decorated with shrubs of flowering chysanthemum and bamboo bending over a meandering stream on a rich mura-nashiji ground, the inside of the box similarly lacquered with sprigs of bamboo and chrysanthemum, and fitted with a removable tray containing the suzuri (ink-grinding stone), the gilt and silver suiteki (water-dropper) in the form of two chrysanthemum blooms, the other writing implements comprising a kiri (paper-skewer), a tosu (paper knife), a sumitori (ink-holder), each with silver engraved mounts and gold-lacquered with karakusa ('Chinese grasses') echoing the design along the narrow sides of the top of the bundai, and two unrelated plain gold-lacquered fude (writing brushes), and a suzuri (ink-grinding stone), the bundai of standard form with fudegaeshi (raised sections to left and right), the 14 gilt fittings to the corners and sides of the top and the ends of the fudegaeshi chiselled with stylised floral ferns, similarly lacquered with minor variations depicting on the left two thatched dwellings on a pine-clad rocky seashore overlooking a cascading waterfall, the legs and all the sides with densely scattered sprays of stylised foliage on a black ground, the underside of the table of dense mura-nashiji, each unsigned; each with two wood storage boxes, the outer box for the suzuribako with a paper label inscribed Taki sansui suzuribako (Writing box with the design of a fall and mountainous landscape); the inside box for the bundai inscribed on the lid ...Ichi, on-bundai taki sansui takamaki-e; Ichi on-suzuribako do maki-e, ura nashiji take kiku [...] maki-e ... (...One writing desk with the design of a fall and mountainous landscape in takamaki-e; one writing box with the same design, the back with the design of bamboo and chrysanthemums in maki-e on a nashiji ground ...). The suzuribako: 5cm x 23cm x 25.5cm (2in x 9in x 10in), the bundai: 12.7cm x 59.7cm x 35.2cm (5in x 23½in x 13 7/8in). (16).