A finely-decorated Japanese lacquer writing box 日本莳绘文具盒 18th/19th Century 十八至十九世纪 Decorated in hiramaki-e, takamaki-e, togidashi and kirigane with flowering cherry tree, rushing stream and waterfall in a rocky landscape against a nashiji ground to the exterior, interior of the cover decorated with a full moon behind crashing waves and a stylized rendition of the Meoto Iwa ("Married Couple Rocks"); insert with crashing waves, fitted with an inkstone and a silver water dropper finely modeled with peony blossoms. (L: 10 in.) Qty: (1) Property from a Private Collection, New York Footnote: NOTE: The Meoto Iwa are two sacred rocks of the coast of Futami, near Ise shrine, Japan. One rock is larger than the other, and both symbolizing the two creator Kami (Shinto deities) Izanagi and Izanami. The rocks are connected by a heavy rice straw rope, which must be ceremoniously replaced several times a year, symbolizing the union of the deities. The site is particularly known for the veiw of the full moon rising between the rocks from autumn to winter, thus the present box suggests two times of year, with the flowering cherry on the cover alluding to spring, the decoration of the interior to autumn. Condition report: General overall good visual condition, chips to rims