Japanese Box

I picked this box up having been attracted by the very unusual lid decoration.
However, when it arrived it was bigger than I imagined and in a far worse state. Never mind, I like a challenge!
​Sometime around 1945 the box was lined with fabric backed with newspaper, stuck on with water soluble glue. One news snippet on the bottom refers to Clark Gable of 'Gone With The Wind' fame enlisting, so WWII. The outside was probably also covered in something red as there was a lot of glue on every panel with red fibres in it. I also think that it was originally embellished with (probably) brass handles and decors due to the number and position of nail holes in every panel and corner. There is also evidence of some sort of feet at the corners.
As bought
So, what to do with it?
The black glossy paint inside the lid was flaking severely and covered with glue residue, so I removed all of the paint.
The lid then needed to be glued where it had split and come apart. I sourced new (longer) hinges and fitted them. Unfortunately its not possible to fit a new lock as the space the original one was in has been filled and the area was too delicate to attempt to 'unfill' it.
The inside of the box was sound, apart from the corners where the feet were fixed, so minor filling of the holes only.
Having filled all the holes I applied a coat of black satin paint to hide the filler and any bare wood areas.
The painted decorations are delicate, with some damage. I didn't want to damage them any more so having filled all the holes I then touched up the paint to hide any filler and repair some of the surface damage.
To preserve some history I 'framed' the newspaper on the bottom by fixing fix four new feet, & painted them black.
​I then sprayed the whole exterior with clear lacquer.
I lined the box with red velvet flock and the lid with black.
Finally I added a pair of brass lid stays to prevent it opening too far and damaging the surface or hinges.
Stages of repair & restoration
Final stage - Lacquer spray and velvet lining.
Site last updated 2nd May 2025


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