By Vaishnavi Singh, Youth Panel Member
The Japanese writing box is known locally as Suzuri-bako which translates to ‘inkstone box’. The main content of the box is inkstone (suzuri). This traditional Chinese stationery was used to grind and contain writing ink. To protect the elegant inkstone, the writing box is made out of lacquered wood.
The writing box has enough space for other writing essentials such as ink, a handy knife, brushes and a water container. Employed mainly for calligraphy, these writing boxes were an essential possession for writers.
This writing box also features a piece of Japanese art on the cover of the box. The painting adds aesthetic value to this utility-based box designed to aid a writer’s craft. This artist’s apparatus shows how art holds a significant space in traditional Japanese craftsmanship.
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