Yosegi

A closed yosegi

An opened yosegi (note the numerous plates which have been slid to allow the opening)

Yosegi are traditional Japanese wooden boxes. They feature an elaborate wood mosaic work, and a complicated opening procedure, which makes them suitable for keeping personal valuable objects.

The mosaic is created by rods of different woods glued together, and cut perpendicularly into fine slices. The surface is lacquered. Differences in texture and colour are obtained by the choice of different species and qualities of wood:

White: Spindle tree or ilex macropoda
Black: aged Katsura tree
Yellow: Picrasma quassioides, mulberry or sumac
Brown: Camphor tree, maackia
Purple: American walnut tree
Blue: Japanese cucumber tree
Red: Chinese cedar

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