| Amongst the various art works of wood in the
world today, the Himitsu-Bako produced in the Hakone-Odawara region of Japan
is superior in quality as well as traditional craftsmanship. With the
abundant variety of trees in this region, the selection of high quality wood
and the expertise of three generations of master craftsmen have achieved an
art form revered for it's artistry and ingenuity. |
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The Himitsu-Bako (Personal Secret Box) is a traditional
Japanese puzzle box that was designed over 100 years ago in the Hakone-Odawara
region of Japan. The Hakone Mountains are noted for their great variety of
trees.
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The Personal Secret Box takes advantage of this wide variety
of natural wood colors and textures to produce their elaborate geometric
patterns. The appeal of the Personal Secret Box is not merely in its
entertainment qualities. |
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It is adorned with Yosegi-Zaiku and/or Moku-Zougan. The
Yosegi-Zaiku is a mosaic woodwork usually applied to small handicrafts such
as trays, boxes, and chests. |
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This marquetry technique originated in the late Edo Period,
and in May of 1984 was designated a National Traditional Handicraft by the
International Trade & Industry Minister.
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In the Hakone-Odawara region of Japan, there are about 100
people who are working in the field of Traditional Wooden products. Of these
100 people, only about 30 craftsmen produce Yosegi-Zaiku and about four
craftsmen produce Moku-zougan. The Himitsu-Bako is produced by only 9
traditional craftsmen. These craftsmen do not make the Yosegi-Zaiku, which
adorns their Secret Puzzle boxes. The Himitsu-Bako craftsmen produce their
secret puzzle box virtually alone from start to finish. They each pick the
wood they will use and then allow it to dry for a period of time. |
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Next, they cut and assemble wood pieces to form the puzzle
box. Finally, they apply the Yosegi-Zaiku to the outside of the box with the
proper finishing technique. The youngest of the Himitsu-Bako Master
craftsmen is about 60 years old.
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The Puzzle box pictured here is the coin bank. It has a one slide that
opens to deposit coins, and it takes a total of nine moves to open it to get
your coins out. |
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Note:
These are high quality boxes and we inspect every one before
shipment. But these are made of wood and wood does react to humidity.
Avoid areas of high humidity and high temperatures. It is natural for
the movement of the wooden pieces to be affected by environmental changes,
therefore we cannot guarantee the future functioning of box. When you
receive your box it will function as intended, but you must keep it dry and
handle it with care. Do not use abrasive cleaners, clean it with a dry
clean cloth. If the box does get wet, pat it dry, and let it dry
naturally, this will help insure it continues functioning, and also store
the box in the closed position.
These are unique works of art, handmade by skilled
craftsmen, they need to be handle with care. Never force a slide
or panel, it may cause damage. If it gets broken in the allotted time that
we accept returns, we will not be held liable for that kind of damage.
All boxes come with pictured instructions on how to open
them.
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