Sake cup with maki-e design of Echigo-ya

The biggest kimono draper’s shop, Echigo-ya, is depicted by hira maki-e (flat sprinkled metal decoration) and kanagai (foil inlay) on the vermilion lacquered flat cup. On the outer side of the cup, it bears the creator’s inscription, ‘平川斎 (Heisensai)’, with kao (stylized signature).
The luxurious two-story buildings of the shop are shown in the foreground on either side of the Suruga-cho Street in Edo (now Tokyo). The Edo Castle and Mt. Fuji are visible in the distance. In the sky, flying birds are depicted in black lacquer.
The detailed image allows us to see the situation of the inside of the shops and the eyes and noses of the people who are on the street.
The letters written on the sign boards of the shop tell that on the right side is Echigo-ya kimono shop dealing in silk articles, and on the left side is Echigo-ya kimono shop dealing in cotton and others.