Japanese Marquetry Boxes
are made from intricately designed inlaid
wood (some M.C. Escher
-esque). They are called Himitsu-Bako
in Japanese meaning "Personal Secret Box". These boxes which originated over a century ago in the Hakone Mountain region of Japan are used to hide and secure personal treasure
s, as they appear to be just a decorative cube with no lock or apparent opening. The boxes can only be opened by carrying out a series of steps, unique to each box to work a complex mechanism
If you are unable to open a Japanese Marquetry Box, taking an ax to it is always an option, though its fine craftsmanship is often enough to just behold.