Rectangular tray ornamented with a double square shikishi or poem card form inscribed with a poem by Matsuo Basho (1644 – 1694), and a leaping frog. Of kuwa or chestnut wood, the poem cards inlaid in shibuichi and silver and the frog of inlaid shibuichi inlaid in gold and shakudo. Signed by the artist with a chiseled signature on the silver poem card: Hakusanshi Mitsunaga and with a kao (Toyokawa Mitsunaga II, 1850 – 1923). Taisho era, circa 1912 – 1923.

With the tomobako or original box, inscribed on the exterior of the lid: Basho O(kina) no Kü-i or Old Master Basho’s Haiku Poem; and on the reverse of the lid signed: Toyokawa Mitsunaga Sen or Carved by Toyokawa Mitsunaga, and sealed twice.

The theme of this tray is perhaps Basho’s most famous haiku:

Furuike ya
Kawazu tobikomu
Mizu no oto

or

The old pond!
A frog jumps in –
Sound of the water.

Toyokawa Mitsunaga was born to a samurai family, and after his father lost his position in 1866 he began to study metalworking with the Yanagawa family. He exhibited at the1st Naikoku Kangyo Hakurankai or National Industrial Exposition in 1877, and again at the 2nd Exposition in 1881. He died in the Great Kanto Earthquake in Tokyo.