Antique Japanese Ink Box — Wood, 1880, Meiji Era (SKU: 25M-404)
Antique Japanese Ink Box — 1880s, Meiji Era (SKU: 25M-404)
A Chest of Shadows and Stories
This rare antique ink box — or suzuribako — is a compelling fusion of practicality and storytelling, crafted during the Meiji era when the written word still carried sacred weight. Adorned with riveted iron hardware and deep patina, this chest was once used to store inkstones, brushes, and calligraphy tools — the instruments of learning, poetry, and recorded memory.
The box’s heavily fortified exterior suggests its value: not in gold or coin, but in thought and intention. It bears the soul of a scholar or merchant, its drawers once filled with black sumi ink, delicate brushes, and wisdom handed down through strokes of the brush.
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Origin: Japan
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Era: 1880s, Meiji Period
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Material: Wood and iron
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Use: Suzuribako (ink and brush chest), storage for writing tools
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Features: Riveted corners, iron lock plates, handle pulls, rich blackened patina
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Dimensions: 7"W x 9 1/2"D x 7 1/2"H
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Condition: Excellent for age, heavy surface wear appropriate to use
In its weathered grain and shadowed corners lives the spirit of letters, dreams, and untold stories.
- size:
- 7"W x 9 1/2"D x 7 1/2"H