A lacquered rectangular box and cover


Meiji era (1868-1912), circa 1880Decorated in a variety of lacquer techniques including gold takamaki-e, hiramaki-e, kirikane, e-nashiji and togidashi maki-e with a moonlit summer evening scene of hotaru (fireflies), their phosphorescence rendered by inlaid aogai (shell), hovering around flowering irises and reeds growing in a stream in which red carp are seen swimming on the surface, all beneath clouds, mist and an inlaid silver crescent moon, the design extending over the sides, the inside of the cover predominantly lacquered in silver takamaki-e with five little stints flying over a sandpiper wading in water besides a small willow tree, a range of mountains in the distance reserved on a rich mura-nashiji ground, the interior of the box similarly lacquered in gold takamaki-e with assorted shells at low tide, the whole raised on four scalloped bracket feet; unsigned. 5.3cm x 26.4cm x 16.6cm (2 1/8in x 10 3/8in x 6½in). (2).