A letter Fubako box from the Japanese Meiji period (1868-1912). Beautiful and very decorative Fubako letter box from the Japanese Imperial Meiji period, circa 1880. This box has been meticulously crafted in lacquered wood with polychromate and gilding decorations. At both sides is attached with a pair of silvered kanamono hardwares with the imperial symbol of the chrysanthemum flowers. Created in an elongated rectangular shape with rounded corners, the outside of the lid with a decoration in maki-e depicting a river landscape with trees and a house, strips of land and huts, at the top the unmistakable shape of the moon. The interior is finished with plain black lacquer. Meiji period, is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912.The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization by Western powers to the new paradigm of a modern, industrialized nation state and emergent great power, influenced by Western scientific, technological, philosophical, political, legal, and aesthetic ideas. As a result of such wholesale adoption of radically different ideas, the changes to Japan were profound, and affected its social structure, internal politics, economy, military, and foreign relations. The period corresponded to the reign of Emperor Meiji. It was preceded by the Keiō era and was succeeded by the Taishō era, upon the accession of Emperor T