The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 20, 2025

Writing Box (Suzuribako) with Hydrangea at Night

1930s

Japan, Shōwa period

(1926–89)
Lacquered wood and silver with gold, silver, and color sprinkled powder (maki-e)
5.4 x 23.1 x 25.3 cm (2 1/8 x 9 1/8 x 9 15/16 in.)
Lillian M. Kern Memorial Fund 2020.67
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

The moody, glamorous look of the box is an excellent example of reconsidering classical seasonal motifs.

Description

Japanese writing boxes are designed to hold all the tools for traditional calligraphy, including an inkstone, water dropper, ink cake, and brushes. This box retains its inkstone and water dropper, the latter of which has a design of the sun behind clouds—a contrast to the hydrangea flower in moonlight motif on the box’s lid.
  • ?–2020
    (Erik Thomsen Asian Art, New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    2020–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Modern Japan. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 14, 2022-June 18, 2023).
    Early Rinpa (Japanese gallery rotation) 235. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (July 23, 2020-January 17, 2021).
  • {{cite web|title=Writing Box (Suzuribako) with Hydrangea at Night|url=false|author=|year=1930s|access-date=20 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2020.67