Tiered box with hydrangea design in mother-of-pearl inlay and maki-e

This four-tiered box has a shallow lid. A hydrangea bush is arranged in the foreground against an arched bridge with ornamental caps on the bridge posts, in a design that flows over all four sides and the top of the lid. The water is rendered with a sense of speed and three dimensionality through subtle changes in the thickness of the lines; the waves splashing against the bridge supports create a rhythm contrasting with that of the course of the stream and adding variety to this depiction of water. The box is entirely covered in black lacquer, over which gold flat maki-e was mainly used to create the design, with kakiwari (a technique emphasizing design motifs by sprinkling gold dust on wet lacquer) used on the leaf veins and edges and needle engraving used on the bridge.