National Treasures & Important Cultural Properties
of National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan

As is written in the Appendix of the Pictures of Hōryūji Treasures "an offering from Honorable Yoshimasa of Higashiyama, Kyoto," this writing desk is attributed as Ashikaga Yoshimasa's donation. On the top plate are the pictures of the motifs such as pine trees on the sand beach and flying plovers. Some pieces made in the Muromachi period have designs with the same motifs, which are thought to be associated with Mt. Shio-no, the widely-known utamakura (poetic words used to cultivate wider imaginations) of Kai Province (today's Yamanashi Prefecture). Burnished (togidashi) makie is mainly used, while the sand beach and shells are pictured with pearskin-picture (enashiji) or a method very similar to it. This is an outstanding artwork, with the characteristics of the Muromachi period manifested in both the design and the techniques.