Writing Box (Suzuribako) with Design of Pine, Camellia, and Bamboo (base)

From the Cleveland Museum of Art record

Writing boxes were indispensible personal possessions for the literate of medieval Japan. Beyond containing the tools for artistic expression and communication such as an ink stone, writing brushes, and a water dropper, writing boxes often featured scenes from classical literature or symbolic motifs rendered in a wide array of complex lacquer techniques. The metal water dropper inside the box above the ink stone also has pine and camellia motifs.