An antique Japanese Yosegi Kobako (marquetry personal drawer box) from the Hakone region made of various natural colored woods with a Hinoki (Cypress) structure and drawer backs. The expert craftsmanship is quite evident by how the front marquetry design flows seamlessly across all of the drawers. Made with various woods including Keyaki (Zelkova), Kakinoki (Persimmon) and Tochinoki (Horse Chestnut). The box has 5 drawers with Mokko shaped drawer pulls. The interior of each drawer is lacquered black. The top of the box has a hinged lid that lifts up to reveal a rural shoreline scene in gold and red lacquer on a black background.

Yosegi is a centuries old traditional Japanese craft that began in the late Edo era. The intricate design is formed by combining different natural colored cut rods of wood by gluing and binding them to make the desired pattern. After the glue has dried, the bound wood is planed cross grain to make sheets of the marquetry pattern that are applied to functional wooden crafts and art objects. The final result are one of a kind masterpieces that epitomizes Wabisabi (the art of understated beauty).

Age: Late Meiji Period (circa 1880-1900)

Dimensions: 15 1/4" high x 14" wide x 7 1/2" deep