Tea time

Shaun2

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I am not sure it is actually a tea caddy, but I think it is. It has no residual, inside tea smell as one might expect.

As can be seen, it is formed as a dodecahedron, comprising five-sided polygons. It is lightly varnished, and the lid sits snugly with a small geometric knob at the top shaped from a piece of ebony.

I am not certain what wood it made of. The wood is solid, not veneer, and the parts are glued together perfectly. I think the craftsmanship is superb.

It shows a lot of age-related use and wear, and I cleaned it carefully, ensuring the patina has been well preserved (see third image).

I do not know how old it is. I have never seen one like it. I am informed that it was procured from northern Japan. To me, it certainly looks Japanese.

I hope you enjoy the pictures. Perhaps someone might share an opinion? I have Googled, and seen boxes roughly like this, but not as a lidded caddy-type thing.


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