“Bundai” writing table in lacquer and inlays by Ogata Kōrin.

The table rests on four small legs, and the rectangular tabletop is decorated with dancing figures against a black lacquered background. On the right of the composition, a woman dances and waves an uchiwa fan. She is dressed in a kimono decorated with stylized irises in maki-e lacquer, her waist cinched with a mother-of-pearl obi, inlaid with gold lacquer highlights. Next to her, in the lower part of the tray, another figure, seen from behind, wearing a conical woven hat and dressed in a loose-fitting garment made of textured lead leaf, is also waving a fan. In the upper left, three other figures are visible, two of which are shown only from the feet up. The third figure is that of a woman, her head turned to the right, dressed in a kimono made of textured lead foil, embellished with lacquered bamboo leaf motifs and an inlaid mother-of-pearl obi. In the center of the composition is the maki-e lacquer inscription “Sei Kōrin Zo Ryo” (“Made by Korin”), followed by the artist’s seal (rakan).

Ogata Kōrin (1658–1716) was a painter, illustrator and lacquer artist who played a significant role in the history of Japanese art. His innovative style, which made use of contrasts between materials and bold compositions, gave rise to the Rinpa school of art.