Japanese Lacquered Papier Mache Box with Three Scholars

This may be my favorite lacquered box I've had--and I've gathered a fair number of lacquer boxes! It's the patterns of the kimono of the three figures that really makes it for me--so elegant, and with that gold just popping against the black ground. I especially love the gesture of the figure with unrolled scroll before him, and the figure  to his right with serenely attentive expression and arms locked gracefully behind him.   Really a striking box, and all the more so for its bright red interior! I believe this box dates to the late 19th or very early 20th century. It is in good condition overall, with a little staining on the top (most notably over part of the kimono of the left figure), some loss of lacquer at the far corners, and one crack/scratch in the lacquer along the top left edge (above the pagoda), as well as a hairline crack on the interior near one of the hinges and overall wear/aging to the interior bottom half. Still looks very sharp and bright, though--really lovely--a