This is a series of experimental and learning pieces, which were the result of a three week visit to China. My wife and I, along with two friends and their son, just touring and doing our own thing.

I was especially impressed with the Chinese woodworking patterns, two of which I now use in my work in differing forms. This box was also an exercise in learning as I had never handled a rotary tool before, and wanted to learn the basics of bass relief and pierced carving techniques.

I ended up with a series of small pieces and decided to use them in a box form rather then throw them away; each panel is made from three separate pieces.

The symbols on the side are the eight Taoist symbols from the I Ching book of self revelation representing self. The lower pattern is Chinese not Celtic, and here represents the endless cycle of life, while the moon window represents looking to inwards, or the containment of self.

This was also the first box I had ever made, while the next two boxes I made are fitted inside this box, so we have three boxes in one.



The external box is Salu-Salu and it taught me not to use it again unless really desperate for timber. The internal boxes and lids are demolition Matai and was my first use of this timber which rapidly became my favoured timber.

Because Salu-Salu will not take a good finish with oils, I added a dark volatile stain to Danish oil to give the timber a bit of character, other wise it presented as dull and lifeless with very poor colour.