㉔OSAKA Hiromichi, Box for writing brush box, floral scroll design in inlay, dyed from sappanwood on persimmon wood

This is a calligraphy brush box featuring a karahana-mon pattern, which stylizes the appearance of flowers in bloom, their petals spread wide, seen from above. The design shows evidence of influences from India and Sassanid Persia. Intricate geometric floral patterns like this were widely used in Tang-dynasty China, particularly in dyeing and weaving, which gave the pattern its name (which means “Tang flower” in Japanese).
  The intricate inlay technique (gansō) involves embedding decorative metals such as tin and gold into wood. This technique is essential to the expressive style of this artist, who has devoted much of his career to working on replicas of treasures from Shosoin and researching the history of the works held in this ancient repository. Tin retains its shine for a long time, continuing to enhance the piece with lasting color and brilliance.