AN INLAID AND GOLD-LACQUER MATCHING SET OF BUNDAI (WRITING DESK) AND SUZURIBAKO (BOX FOR WRITING UTENSILS)Edo period (1615-1868) or Meiji era (1868-1912), mid-19th centuryConceived in the manner of Ogata Korin, both decorated on thekinji ground in goldtakamaki-e and applied with inlays of shell and pewter with the famous sceneAzuma kudari (Journey to the East) from Chapter Nine ofIse monogatari (The Tales of Ise) in which the courtier-poet Ariwara no Narihira and his followers stop to admire the celebrated Yatsuhashi (Eight-Stage Bridge) over an iris pond in the province of Mikawa; thebundai of standard form withfudegaeshi (raised sections to left and right), the ten silver fittings to the corners and sides of the top and the ends of thefudegaeshi, decorated with irises growing over the Yatsuhashi, inscribed on the underside in raised gold lacquerHokkyo Korin with sealKorin; thesuzuribako rounded and rectangular with a domedkabusebuta (overhanging lid) with Ariwara on horseback on the exterior, the interior of the lid with the Yatsuhashi over an iris pond, the interior of the box similarly lacquered to one side with stems of irises, with a fitted frame andita (baseboard), containing thesuzuri (ink-grinding stone), a metal rectangularsuiteki (water dropper), one writing brush, one paper pricker, and one paper knife,unsigned; with two lacquered-wood storage boxes, one inscribedKorin maki-e suzuribako (Maki-e Box for Writing Utensils by Korin) and the other inscribedKorin maki-e bundai (Maki-e Writing Desk by Korin).The bundai: 13cm x 60cm x 33.5cm (5 1/8in x 23 3/8in x 13 1/16in); the suzuribako: 3cm x 23.2cm x 21.2cm (1¼in x 8 5/16in x 8 5/16in). (10).