Lectern, anonymous, c. 1700 - c. 1800
The upper surface of this luxuriously decorated lectern is adorned with the pine trees found on the coast near the region of Sumiyoshi. Sumiyoshi Myojin, one of the Shinto deities of Waka, a form of Japanese poetry, is venerated in the Sumiyoshi shrine. Accordingly, this nature scene is a particularly fitting decoration for a lectern.