Anyone that’s stopped to consider the shape, form or function of an object will unwittingly have engaged in a conversation about design. Even choosing between Thai, Italian or tapas for dinner constitutes having an opinion on the merits of each regardless of how well equipped we are to do so. Just having an opinion can make us an expert sometimes for they are so often gut-felt and conceived without rational thought as to make them the most honest of human responses. Aside from the categories used to group items in chronological order like Georgian, Victorian, etc., we also have more general terms that take into consideration the aesthetic nature of objects.
The history of furniture is packed with references to Japanned items, Chi-noiserie and Classical proportions. Most of the time these are interpretations of a style developed to respond to a particular shift in taste for commercial reasons and therefore not always a reliable source of original intent or information – Gothic and medieval immediately spring to mind. Some of the more well known descriptions that just so happen to be so vague as to mean very little are Shaker Style, Scandinavian or my favourite, Oriental. While I have a rough idea what’s meant by them they don’t really tell me much about the objects at all.
When I first looked at making this style of box I was undoubtedly drawn to a style that has its origins in Japanese carpentry and more specifically temple builders. I’m just as fascinated by the things craftsmen make as how they make them. Like all good tool chests it follows some basic principles that are common among tradesmen the world over, particularly those working with wood. Firstly, they are usually made from an inexpensive material and to a design that lends itself to being repaired easily. Secondly, as a purely utilitarian object conceived under the rule of form equals function they represent
