Iain Green, Carindale, QLD

Japanese Presentation Box
Japanese ash, wenge
180 x 180 x115mm

Concept:
Each year in Tokyo, there is an exhibition of Traditional Arts and Crafts which usually includes some amazing boxes. From my last visit to this exhibition, I was inspired to try to emulate the simplicity and beauty I saw on display without necessarily being concerned with what I would display in this box.

Method of Construction:
The design of a box-in-a-box is traditional – the contents are held in the inner box and the outer box falls down over the inner. I used 7mm japanese ash with a veneer of wenge along the diagonals of the top and the bottom. All vertical edges are joined with blind dovetails for strength and simplicity. I also let a wenge veneer into the vertical edges of the top to complete these lines of separation. The grain is arranged so that it is continuous around the box and the top and bottom aim for a double book-match effect. The bottom has a wenge plinth which gives a shadow-line effect which is visible through arches cut into the bottom of the top.
The finish is traditional Urushi (Japanese Lacquer) – about 10 layers.
An objective of the box-in-a-box design is to ensure that the boxes fit with any orientation to each other and that there is an air cushion between the boxes so that the top box lowers itself when it is released over the bottom. After quite a bit of fine tuning, I was able to achieve this fit.

Iain Green will show how to make this box in AWR#61 (out September 2008).

Photos: Iain Green