Japanese

Japanese Edo period Suzuri-Bako in solid silver with gold highlights. In the form of an Inro complete with silk cording, netsuke, and an ojime bead, this item demonstrates the high art of Japanese metalwork.

A Japanese portable lacquer writing set, known as a yatate, embodies the tools for refined artistic expression. This particular set from the Meiji period features a compact Writing Table (文台・Bundai), Suzuri-bako (硯箱; "inkstone box") with writing tools present including Brush(筆・Fude), Brush holder (筆置き・Fude oki), Waterwell (水差し・Mizusashi), Paperweight (文鎮・Bunchin), Ink stone (硯・Suzuri),  and Tray (お盆・Obon), all elegantly stored in a finely crafted wooden box adorned with Japanese inscriptions. The writer would add Calligraphy paper (紙・Kami), and Ink sticks (墨・Sumi) or Liquid ink (墨汁・Bokuju), and Desk pad (下敷き・Shitajiki).

The Japanese Lacquer (絵梨・Maki-e) items are decorated with exquisite lacquerwork depicting peacocks, chrysanthemum, and other bird and flora.

The gold and silver contained in this item are pure gold and silver.

Notice the rich, all-over lacquer detail on the writing table including the legs.

Finely crafted signed storage box. 

Rare item.

Extendable Brush(筆・Fude),, Knife (刀子 ・ Tosu), and Silk Ink (墨・Sumi) within a miniature Suzuri-bako (硯箱; "inkstone box").

From the earliest periods, the art of fine calligraphy has been deeply appreciated in Japanese culture. The discipline known as Shodō, or the Way of the Brush, embraced not only the beauty of the script but also the dance of the brush on paper, and the striking contrast between the black ink and the white background. To achieve this artful expression, a calligrapher or scholarly artist required appropriate tools and a conducive environment—typically the quiet of a calligraphy studio. Essential items like a skillfully made inkstone (suzuri), a water dropper (suiteki) for preparing the ink, and a solid block of ink (sumi) were neatly organized on his desk. Brushes (fude) were readily available, placed on a brush holder (fude-oki), along with paper (kami) and a paperweight (bunchin) to keep it steady.

However, for the warrior in combat, the roaming merchant, the pilgrim, or any individual who needed to write while traveling, the act of writing was challenging and awkward.

The initial steps towards making writing more portable are believed to have originated on the battlefields. Warriors who rode horses and wielded bows and arrows would often carry a quiver with a small compartment at its base. This compartment was designed to store writing materials such as a miniature inkstone, an inkstick, and sometimes a brush. This compact inkstone was called yatate no suzuri. To delve a little into the term 'yatate,' it is a fusion of two characters: ya (矢), meaning 'arrow,' and tate (立), meaning 'stand'—together referring to an 'arrow stand' or quiver.

Though this addition to the quiver offered some portability and a handy means to carry writing instruments, the process of writing remained slow and burdensome. One could envisage a warrior needing to quickly send an urgent message or relay important intelligence, yet having to stop to prepare ink—a delay that could prove disastrous, potentially turning the tide of battle. 

While this scenario might seem exaggerated, it did underline a clear need for a more practical and streamlined portable writing system.

 Exhibited is a portable silver yatate from the Meiji period, 1868-1912. The design features cranes seamlessly intertwined with sinuous patterns of karakusa, or ‘Chinese grasses’. In addition to brush storage, this piece contains both ink storage and a suiteki or water chamber with hinged lid.  The yatate measures 19.7 centimeters, or 7.75 inches, in length.

Woven silk cord with amber ojime.