Pair of suzuributa trays with design of mandarin ducks and irises

Brilliantly colored mandarin ducks are depicted in maki-e design on the black lacquer surface.
The term ‘suzuributa’ refers to a lid of a writing box. The origin of the suzuributa tray began before the Edo period (1600-1868) when people used a lid of a writing box as a tray for serving fruits, nuts or confections. In the Edo period, it started to be produced as a food serving tray.