Featured Japanese lacquer box and a something not sure. Katabami Clan Crest

Sorry about the lousy picks. Black lacquer is hard to photograph.
I picked up this really cool box at my favorite thrift today.
Box is 8" x 6" x 7" tall The Katabami Clan Circled sword crest is on all sides and the top.
The inside is this fabulous, sparkled lacquer along with these four pieces tied together.
I think it is pretty old, maybe Meiji.

Miky

 

That's a stunner, Mikey...could those be separators, say for textiles, or paper?
Like you, I'm very fond of Japanese lacquer...in any form!

 

I just found out it is a folding divider screen.
For tea ceremony. Pretty cool?
Mikey

 

Also, the laquer on the inside of the box and screen is called Maki-e Nashiji. This is getting interesting!
Mikey

 

The mon on the outside ought to be traceable; it would be interesting to know which family it came from.

 

it just so happens I looked that up too lol.
The Mon is called Maru Niken Katabami. (Circled Sword) I hope my spelling is correct.
There are three families associated with this crest.
Nakamura, Hirano, and Shibuya.

 

Here are a couple better shots of the screen

 

I wonder if that means they're related, from the same area, or just that they had good taste in markings.

 

I would think they would be related some how.
They are in the same clan. I do know that all clan members don't have to have the same name. So Related by ancestry. Blood or Marriage.

Mikey

 

Lovely... and interesting!

 

The Sakai family also used the wood sorrel and ken motif as their family mon.

 

Great finds, Mikey!
And this proves just how great, you were so excited you even forgot how to spell your own name:

Correct and very cool. The Japanese loved to make everything portable and storable.

Tagging Japanese lacquer aficionada @shamster .

 

At least I spelled everything else correctly lol
Mikey

 

It makes a great display piece also lol.

 

If I knew how old the box is I could probably narrow down the name.

Mikey

 

Maybe look for one of these to go with it.
Mikey

 

I wonder if Chef Sakai from the original Iron Chef program uses that mon too. Transliterations of names can unintentionally mislead.