| Japanese Puzzle Boxes |
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Check out our fabulous Turkish Puzzle Box! |
 | Click on any photo for more information and to see a larger picture. |
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("Sun" is an old Japanese unit of measure, equal to about 3 cm, or 1 and 3/16 inches. So the 2 Sun 7 Move box is about 6 cm long and requires 7 moves to open. "Mame" means "bean" in Japanese.)
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Secret House Puzzle Box - $89 |
Himitsu-Bako
(Personal Secret Box)
The Himitsu-Bako is a traditional Japanese puzzle box, which was developed over 100 years ago in the Hakone region of Japan. Hakone was a relay station on the main road to Edo (present-day Tokyo), and the puzzle boxes were popular souvenirs for travelers. Today there are only 9 National Master Craftsmen producing Himitsu-Bako in the Hakone region. The youngest is over 60 years old. It is impossible to say whether this magnificent artwork will survive to another generation.
Yosegi-Zaiku Woodwork Yosegi-Zaiku marquetry is a form of inlaid and mosaic woodwork unique to the Hakone region of Japan. The Hakone Mountains are famous for their great variety of trees. The Yosegi-Zaiku geometric pattern is formed by binding together different colors of wood. Shaved off with a special plane, very thin sheets of wood are then used as an outside finish for various handicrafts - like the Japanese puzzle boxes known as Himitsu-Bako.
Zougan Woodwork Zougan means "marquetry." This art form originated about 3000 years ago in Egypt. It then traveled through Persia, India, China, and Japan, where the technique has been handed down by generations of Master Craftsmen. In the Hakone region of Japan, the Zougan technique takes advantage of the wide variety of trees and the natural colors of their wood. Different woods are inlaid to form a picture block, which is then planed into thin sheets and applied to the outside of various handicrafts, including secret boxes.
Trees of Hakone Different trees produce the different colored woods used in Yosegi-Zaiku and Zougan woodwork. White -
Dogwood, spindle tree Jindai refers to a tree which has been buried by landslide or volcanic activity for a long period of time. When dug up and exposed to air, the wood color turns very dark, but retains the original wood grain. |
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Mame 14 Move - $39 | |
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Mame
14 Move (Kuzushi) - $39 NEW! Add to Cart |
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2 Sun
Cube 4 Move - $29 NEW! Add to Cart |
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2 Sun
Cube 4 Move (Ichimatsu) - $29 NEW! Add to Cart |
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2 Sun 7 Move - $29 | |
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2 Sun
10 Move (Kirichigai) - $39 |
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2 Sun
10 Move (Ichimatsu) - $39 |
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2 Sun
10 Move (Mawariyabane) - $39 |
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3 Sun 12 Move - $49 | |
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4
Move Jewelry
Box - $75 NEW! Add to Cart |
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4
Sun 5 Move Knock
Box - $99 NEW! Add to Cart |
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4 Sun 14 Move - $59 | |
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4 Sun 21 Move - $75 | |
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4 Sun
4 Compartment - $89 NEW! Add to Cart |
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4 Sun
27 Move (Yaeasa) - $120 |
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4 Sun
27 Move (Sansui Kuroasa) - $185 |
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Cube 18 Move - $120 | |
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Cube
10 Move with Drawer - $125 NEW! Add to Cart |
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Hexagonal 6 Move - $99 | |
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5
Sun 21 Move - $120 ~ SOLD OUT ~ Add to Cart |
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5
Sun 10 Move with Sound Drawer- $125 ~ SOLD OUT ~ Add to Cart |
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5 Sun 14 Move (Double) - $125 | |
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5 Sun 27 Move - $140 | |
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5 Sun 36 Move - $185 | |
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6 Sun 54 Move - $450 | |
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7 Sun 78 Move - $540 |
~ Each one of our Japanese Puzzle Boxes is handcrafted using traditional techniques.
~ The outer surface isn't painted - it's created by the natural colors of different types of wood.
~ Each Japanese Puzzle Box comes with instructions.
| For handcrafted wood and stone boxes (of the non-puzzle variety), please visit our other web site, Jim Thomson's Wood and Stone Boxes. |
Pandora's Puzzle Boxes
15590 Poverty Pond Road
Grass Valley, CA 95945
Phone Toll-Free 1-877-PUZZLEBOX
(1-877-789-9532)
E-mail puzzleboxes@jps.net
www.pandoraspuzzleboxes.com