Stationery box with sea shell design in maki-e

The stationery box has exteriors of black lacquer and interiors of dense pear-skin ground (nashiji). The lid has bands of shells and seaweed, with the direction in which the seaweed is flowing changing in each band, giving a very leisurely sense of the currents. This box has shells and seaweed on two of the corners on the body. Pieces of over-glaze enameled porcelain and mother-of-pearl were used in the marquetry forming the many varieties of shellfish, while the seaweed is in gold and silver maki-e. The upper surface of the lid of this box carries the signature “Ritsuo” in maki-e and the seal “Kan” in marquetry, evidence that this box was made by Ogata Haritsu (1663-1747). Haritsu, a native of Ise, studies haikai poetry in Edo and produced Tosa-style paintings and lacquerware. His use of marquetry, imbedding ceramics, lead, tin, carved cinnabar lacquer, ivory, and other materials into maki-e, was quite innovative; such work is thus known as Haritsu marquetry,