Japanese Handmade Puzzle Box 4 Sun 14 Steps Natural/Walnut Wood

$158.00 NZD

Japanese Puzzle box - 4 Sun 14 Steps Natural/Walnut Wood

A great idea for Christmas and other special occasions!

Traditional Japanese secret opening boxes were first made in the Hakone region about the 1890's by master woodworker Ryugoro Okawa and are decorated with a veneer called yosegi zaiku marquetry. Today the youngest of the Himitsu-Bako Master craftsman is about 60 years old. This very precise process starts with selecting the wood to be used taking care with the combination of colours to be used, then allowing it to dry, before cutting the wood and then gluing it together to form the desired pattern. Then the box is built and each movement must be tested to ensure all the mechanics of the puzzle are working correctly. Last of all, very thin sheets of the glued patterns called zuku are shaved with a special plane and glued on to the puzzle to give the final marquetry finish to the piece.

Because each puzzle box is handmade in Japan by individual craftsmen, the pattern on each one will be very similar but may vary slightly from the photo shown here.

Box outside Size : 115 x 82 x 53mm (Box inner space size : 76x 66x 38mm)

This box is opened by 14 steps. This box have 2 slide keys and 3 slide panels. 4 sun is Japanese Measure,1 sun is 3cm (1.18inch). The length of this box is 11.5cm (4.5inch). and Marquetry of Japan (Yosegi) is used for the pattern of this box (top and bottom panels). Many Natural woods is used for this marquetry(yosegi). The English instruction (solution to open) and the gift box are attached, Put Artist's seal.

Handmade in Japan


***Wood Mosaic(yosegi) patterns of the top, bottom & side panels can differ by each puzzle boxes.