Edo period (1615-1868), 18th/19th century The small rectangular box decorated to resemble a bound album with a scene of blossoming autumn grasses by a woven bamboo fence and a single cricket in gold and silver takamaki-e, hiramaki-e, togidashi maki-e with highlights of kirikane, kinpun and gold foil on a dense nashiji ground, the underside of the cover decorated with a scene of courtiers on a veranda with a cricket cage, a reference to Suzumushi (The Bell Cricket), Chapter 38 of Genji monogatari (The Tale of Genji), the interior with a rectangular inkstone and a silver water dropper cast as a bound album With a wood tomobako storage box 7 3/4 x 6 3/4 x 1 3/16in (19.7 x 17 x 3cm)