Writing box with bridge and waves, 18th century, Unknown Japanese, 1 3/4 × 8 1/4 × 8 3/4 in. (4.45 × 20.96 × 22.23 cm), Black lacquer with sprinkled gold, metal and shell inlay, Japan, 18th century, This lidded box is a suzuribako, a box designed to hold an assortment of writing tools, including an inkstone, water dropper, ink sticks, an ink-stick holder, and brushes. The lid features a design of an arched bridge rendered in inlaid metals and mother-of-pearl over rough waves, made by applying powdered gold. These motifs may refer to the famous bridge over the Uji River in the town of Uji, a site celebrated in poetry since the 700s and used by Murasaki Shikibu as a setting for parts of her Tale of Genji. The inside of this box features an unrelated design of geese on a beach. The original inkstone and water dropper remain intact.