Tribal Masks from BaliFebruary 22nd - We added a great selection of high quality tribal masks including beautiful painted hibiscus wood.

Mammoth Ivory NetsukeFebruary 20th - Large shipment of Netsuke including many Mammoth Ivory pieces.

We just added a great selection of Huichol Yarn and Bead Art to our website. We even added a new category so you can see it all together. For the first time ever, we now have Huichol Yarn animals. These are just like our bead art, but made with yarn instead. Selection includes amazing little jaguar heads as pictured here.

Selections start at only $17.95

The mountains surrounding the town of Hakone in the Kanagawa Prefecture of Japan hold an amazing collection of exotic trees, many of which have been used in the art of Zougan. (wood marquetry and inlay)  Below are samples of some of the wood from those trees. As you can see, there is no need for dyes or stains to make the beautiful colors and patterns in our Japanese Puzzle Boxes. A Yosegi patterned box could use over a dozen different species of wood.

Exotic Wood Samples

Yosegi Zaiku and Zougan Zaiku are traditional Japanese works of art with a history dating back 1,000 years. It was first created in the town of Hakone, an important stop on the road from Kyoto (the old Capital) to Edo (the new Capital, now known as Tokyo). This road was made famous by Hiroshige in his woodblock print set “The 53 Stations of Tokaido”  

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The Japanese Puzzle box is a merging of two Art-Forms. The art of creating a box with sliding panels that can only be opened if you know the exact sequence of moves. (or follow the directions we provide with each box) The second art is that of wood marquetry or Zaiku where different woods in their natural color are carefully cut and glued together making beautiful patterns. Below are several samples of these patterns and the woods used to make them.Puzzle Box Patterns

Himitsu bako is a name given to small boxes made by combining unique puzzle mechanism with Yosegi-Zaiku and/or Moku-Zougan  inlay work. The merging of two arts, native to a single small town along the banks of Ashino-Ko Lake. Welcome to Hakone, Japan and the art of the Japanese Secret Box, also known in the west as a Japanese Puzzle Box.  Himitsu Bako

Yosegi Zaiku, is an intricate mosaic marquetry process that is made into a beautiful veneer. This veneer is used to decorate everything from chopsticks and serving trays to the amazing Himitsu Bako (Japanese Puzzle Boxes). Various woods of different colors are harvested, dried, and shaved or cut into different shapes that are then combined to make the basic patterns. These patterns are then arranged to make sheets that are shaved into the veneer. Yosegi Sample Pictures

Any time an art form is brought from its native country, along with it comes many terms that need translation to understand. These terms are also incorporated in the names of the articles themselves and the designs and patterns. Below is a list of terms relative to Japanese Puzzle Boxes.

Puzzle Box Glossary

As with any items made from wood they will swell when exposed to high temperatures, liquids, or humidity. Japanese puzzle boxes should be protected from extremes in temperature and humidity. The inside of your home or office is fine, just keep them away from direct sunlight. About Our Puzzle Boxes