Definition: 1) a Japanese box used for storing writing utensils, with places for an ink stick, a grinding stone, a water dropper, brushes and a small knife. It was typically made of aged wood wrapped in linen or silk and then painted with multiple layers of lacquer, and was usually rectangular, but could be more exotically shaped - round, crescent or even in the shape of a musical instrument. The fanciest boxes were adorned with a raised-relief or painted designs inside and out, often using gold, silver or mother-of-pearl. These designs often referenced popular fables, poems or legends, or might depict a famous locale. First imported from China, as early as the 10th century, by the early 1900s they became largely ceremonial, as western pens and pencils became more common.
2) a small chest with multiple drawers used to store writing instruments.
Pronunciation: sue-zer-ee-back-oh
Example: In a sparsely-decorated Japanese room, an ornate suzuribako often functioned as a decorative, as well as a functional, item.