japanese puzzle box

Himitsu-bako (personal secret box), originally uploaded by tednmiki.

I nearly forgot this week! Fortunately, I find myself awake at 6 AM with nothing to do. You may thank my dog and her apparent URGENT NEED to walk down a flight of stairs for this piece of the week.

I am a secret junkie. Not for actual secrets, mind you, but for secret things. Anything that locks, secret compartments, secret passageways, if it's not apparent to the naked eye or difficult to get into, I love it. Sadly, I don't have anything like I just described because in this, as in all things, I'm rather picky. Fortunately, the internet offers much in the way of eye candy.

Japanese puzzle boxes originated over a century ago in the Hakone region of Japan are are generally characterized by their decoration of geometric marquetry featuring a wide variety of woods. The number of moves required to open a puzzle box ranges from 4 to over 100! For more information on or to purchase one of these complex little beauties, click here, or here. These aren't the only resources you'll find online, of course, just the ones I often peruse.

Have a happy weekend!