Meiji era (1868-1912), late 19th century Lacquered in several shades of gold, silver, brown, and black takamaki-e, hiramaki-e, and togidashi maki-e against a kinji ground with embellishments of hirame and shell, decorated with panels of monkeys pulling a flower cart, and a peacock and peahen perched in a cherry tree, the side panels decorated with coiling dragons, the surrounding areas with stylized floral scrolls, the neck with lotus flowers against a ground of floral lozenges, the mouth and foot applied with silver mounts 9 1/2in (24.1cm) high