BOX FOR LETTER, WITH THE PATTERN OF SEMMEN-NAGASHI

Cast iron with localized areas of gilding; the interior of the box and cover lined with hammered silver purportedly designed by Miochin (1624-1642)

Dry lacquer; dark brown lacquer over fabric core, the decoration on the exterior in "takamakie" high relief gold and brown lacquer, the decoration on the interior and base in "nashiji" gold flakes; the base with signature reading "Mushū" in black lacquer

Maki-e designs in gold and silver on nashi-ji lacquer ground

Lacquer on wood with Kōdaiji-style decoration in gold and silver utilizing the hiramaki-e (low-relief sprinkled design) and e-nashiji (pictorial "pear-skinned" ground) techniques

Lacquer

Lacquer on wood

Lacquer on wood with decoration in gold and sabi urushi (thick lacquer paste) utilizing the hiramaki-e (low-relief sprinkled design) and takamaki-e (high-relief sprinkled design) techniques and with textured sheet-lead and raden (mother-of-pearl) inlays

Lacquer on wood with decoration in gold utilizing the hiramaki-e (low-relief sprinkled design), nashiji ("pear-skinned" ground), and harigaki (linear incising) techniques; lead-alloy fittings

Lacquer on wood with decoration in gold and seisei urushi (cooked lacquer) utilizing the hiramaki-e (low-relief sprinkled design), takamaki-e (high-relief sprinkled design), and nashiji ("pear-skinned" ground) techniques; gold and shakudo (copper-gold alloy) fittings

Lacquer on wood with decoration in gold and sabi urushi (thick lacquer paste) utilizing the hiramaki-e (low-relief sprinkled design) and takamaki-e (high-relief sprinkled design) techniques, and with glazed-ceramic and tortoiseshell inlays

Lacquer on wood with decoration in gold and silver utilizing the hiramaki-e (low-relief sprinkled design), takamaki-e (high-relief sprinkled design), nashiji ("pear-skinned" ground), and harigaki (linear incising) techniques, and with applied kirigane (cut gold and silver) and shibuchi (copper-silver alloy); metal fittings

Lacquer on wood with decoration in gold, silver, and aokin (gold-silver) utilizing the hiramaki-e (low-relief sprinkled design), togidashi maki-e (sprinkled design revealed by polishing), nashiji ("pear-skinned" ground), and e-nashiji (pictorial "pear-skinned" ground) techniques; gilt-copper fittings [tray with decoration of cranes in takamaki-e (high-relief sprinkled design) may be a later replacement]