I am working on restoring this very old Japanese lacquer box. It has been used and restored at other times. The inside is all hand done maki-e or gold dust over the lacquer. The outside is a built up scene made with built up layers of lacquer that was covered in gold at one time. The wood on the outside is hinoki or Japanese cypress, very fragrant wood. The hinges and lock have been added to and changed. The box had green velvet lining added to the box at some point in its life. And inside the crumbling velvet were tiny aluminum beads that I threaded onto a needle. Something was made with these and stored in the box. The velvet liner and all the tacks I pulled out to show the gold maki-e inside the box in good condition.
So we have modern over Indian style of latch work here. Just a pile of bad restoration.
Sun and time have been hard on this box. It is in very good condition under all this age.
A closeup of the maki-e inside the box in good condition. And the tiny aluminum beads found inside the box.
Under all that tattered green velvet liner the brilliant gold lacquer and the tiny beads.
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