A LACQUER SUZURIBAKO DEPICTING AN OX-HERDER PLAYING THE FLUTEJapan, 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)Of rounded rectangular form with a flush-fitting cover, the exterior bearing a nashiji ground finely decorated in gold, silver, and black hiramaki-e and takamaki-e with kirikane to depict an ox-herder riding a black ox, playing a transverse flute, wearing voluminous robes, a small sickle attached to the belt, all below thick clouds and above craggy rockwork and grasses. The interior bearing a roiro-mura-nashiji ground, the interior of the cover similarly lacquered with three horses grazing and strolling below a gold-foil full moon partly obscured by thick clouds, the baseboard decorated with grasses, rocks, and bamboo and fitted with a rectangular inkstone (suzuri) and copper waterdropper (suiteki) of circular form.SIZE 4.5 x 21 x 23.8 cmCondition: Good condition with minor wear, the cover with expected age cracks, some possibly with minor old repairs.Ten Bulls or Ten Ox Herding Pictures is a series of short poems and accompanying drawings used in the Zen tradition to describe the stages of a practitioner's progress toward enlightenment, and their return to society to enact wisdom and compassion. The best known version of the oxherding pictures was drawn by the 12th century Chinese Rinzai Chán (Zen) master Kuoan Shiyuan, who also wrote accompanying poems and introductory words attached to the pictures. The present writing box depicts the sixth poem, ‘Riding the Bull Home’:Mounting the Ox, slowlyI return homeward.The voice of my flute intonesthrough the evening.Measuring with hand-beatsthe pulsating harmony,I direct the endless rhythm.Whoever hears this melodywill join me.Museum comparison:Compare a related lacquer suzuribako depicting the same subject, dated 19th century, Edo period, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 38.25.106a–d.