Chinese Wood Box

Quiet, dark and ribbed, with a faint seam like a belt line near the top.

This lacquered bamboo box is from China, and dates to the 20th century. Lacquer is made from the sap of the lacquer tree and, once cured, forms a hard and water-resistant coating that has been used in East Asia for thousands of years. A tall tube with fine, evenly cut ribs and a narrow, plain band just under the rim. A thin horizontal line crosses the upper body. The color is a smoky brown-black, with a small nick at the lip and a dull sheen. It is 9.75 inches high and 3.25 in diameter.

Restraint, ridged all the way down.