This beautiful, delicate design entitled Sagísó no densetsu - the Legend of Egret Orchids, illustrates a tragic Japanese folktale dating from its violent Warring States, sengoku, period (1467-1600). It is said that a misunderstanding had arisen between the Lord of Setagaya Castle and his concubine – Tokiwa-hime. In desperation she composed a loving letter, dispatching it to her Lord tied to the leg of an egret. Sadly, the bird was shot down in flight by arrow, but where the bird fell, beautiful flowers resembling the bird grew up. (illus. below) To this day the sagiso, the flying egret orchid, is the official flower of Tokyo’s Setagaya Ward.

The design of this suzuribako captures the unfolding stages of the folktale. The egret is depicted in fine, granular gold makie. To its left leg is tied the concubine’s letter. But around the bird swirl strong winds carrying dislodged feathers against a golden ground, alluding to the bird’s shooting and descent. Opening up between the clouds is a vivid green, grassy earth of shimmering abalone shell inlays, from which emerge the egret orchids, meticulously created in minute eggshell inlay.

Studying under his father, a makie artist, Kudo Takashi has shown his work regularly since being first accepted into the Nihon Dento Kogeiten in 1975. This work was exhibited in a group show at the Wako Department Store, Ginza in 2004. He is a member of the Japan Kogei Association.