Click any box to view its pattern.
Washi Boxes™
Decorative storage handcrafted with elegant handmade Japanese papers.
These wooden boxes are styled in the fashion of large wooden boxes used in Japan to ship and store bulk tea. They have been covered with Japanese handmade "washi" paper.
Washi
paper is crafted in Japan by mountain inhabitants in the cold of winter
to make use of the pure waters from melting snow. The icy water eliminates
bacteria which would contaminate the fibers. The fiber for washi paper comes
from the bark of small trees similar to mulberry. These fibers undergo a
lengthy process of steaming, drying, scraping, boiling, rinsing, picking
and beating to shorten, soften, separate, bleach and hydrate them. The fibers
are then placed in a wooden vat of cold water with a suspension agent. A
screen is plunged into the vat and lifted out, then repeatedly and rhythmically
shaken from side to side and back and forth, so that an even network of
fibers cross and intertwine making the strength of washi paper.
The sheets of paper are placed
one at a time on boards and dried in the winter sun. This particular washi
paper is then screen printed, once for each color, for use in washi crafts.
The covering of these boxes has been designed by artist Jan
McGregor. Ms. McGregor has the boxes handcrafted in Japan before distributing
them to you.
Washi
Boxes will keep tea fresh, except in the most humid of climates. They are
also the perfect size for recipes or photographs. Although their uses are
endless, they are designed to stand alone as an artistic accent in any room
of your home.
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