Hidden Key Box Appraisal

Vintage Japanese Hakone Yosegi-Zaiku Hidden Key Puzzle Box

This small rectangular wooden box is a vintage Japanese puzzle box, likely from the Hakone region, crafted using the Yosegi-zaiku marquetry technique. The box features mixed-wood construction with varying tones of light and dark natural wood, including possible cedar or cherry. The lid is decorated with a wood-burned or inlaid landscape depicting Mount Fuji and a traditional Japanese rural scene with houses, enclosed in a simple bordered frame. A notable feature is the mechanical front panel consisting of sliding vertical wooden slats that obscure and reveal a brass keyhole. A small, ornate brass skeleton key is currently inserted into the front. The box is elevated on two horizontal runners serving as feet. The condition shows light wear consistent with mid-20th-century age (circa 1940s-1960s), including minor surface abrasions and a slight patina to the wood. The craftsmanship is high-quality, utilizing traditional joinery and a complex internal mechanism designed to keep the keyhole hidden as part of its puzzle-box nature.