A tobacco tray with a bird-shaped kite Meiji era (1868-1912), circa 1870-1890 The deep tray with curved corners, and slightly recessed interior with indented corners, the wood body entirely covered in almost black chado-nuri finished to an ishime-nuri texture, the interior decorated in highly polished low black takamaki-e with a kite in the form of a crow viewed from below and upside-down (as indicated by the location of the signature on the base), details of the feet and eyes in silver lacquer, the kite string and its ties depicted in gold hiramaki-e partly incised in subori technique to indicate the individual twisted threads, the string extending over the top side and the base to the long-handled itomaki (winder) depicted on the side, its wood and bamboo components rendered in takamaki-e of gold, shibuichi, and shakudo powder incised in subori technique with wood grain, signed on the underside Zeshin in gold hiramaki-e With a wood tomobako storage box with label inscribed Tako maki-e tabako-bon Zeshin saku (Maki-e tobacco tray by Zeshin) and letter of authentication from Shoji Hoshin (1898–1993), reading Zeshin-o saku tako maki-e seidoji tabako-bon shinsaku mugi mono nari Showa gojukyunen uzuki hachijuroku-o Hoshin kan (Seido-ground tobacco tray by Zeshin, authentic work examined by Hoshin, aged 86, April 1984) with seals Shoji, Koma; wrapper sealed Hoshin no in 13/4 × 11 1/4 × 9 in (4.5 × 28.5 × 22.9 cm)