Japanese Marquetry and Black Lacquer Lidded Box with Interior Tray mid-century pottery goblet it was hand-painted with a

it was hand-painted with a tea pot and pillow in red and other tea ceremony accoutrements in copper and silver — nothing extraneous

telling me that whoever made this broom took great care with its making

during which she enjoyed exotic desserts like charlotte a la russe and ventured off the beaten path confident in her knowledge of how to steer clear of poisonous hemlock and how to bandage a head wound should things come to that

and the bags with which it is weighted

Japanese Marquetry and Black Lacquer Lidded Box with Interior Tray mid-century pottery goblet it was hand-painted with aI 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