Japanese Marquetry and Black Lacquer Lidded Box with Interior Tray decorative weaving a lot to fewer men

a lot to fewer men

as is its traditional purpose

Woven together are distorted proverbs

and the hand-written two-sided cards--accounting for every month and possibility for how the dates fall--are easily removed

--and would love to see a whole collection of them

Japanese Marquetry and Black Lacquer Lidded Box with Interior Tray decorative weaving a lot to fewer menI believe this box is Meiji period Japanese, as I have found a few other pieces cabinets mostly with very very similar marquetry patterning, called Yosegi in Japan, combined with black lacquered interiors as is the case here. What I really love about it is the way the triangular motif plays out across the top and sides, in different varieties of wood subtly and surprisingly defying expectations. Really sharp looking, and a useful box too, with an