Wood, unlike manufactured products, lives on after the sap had dried up. There remain tensions and stresses that may be released with every modification. I once carved a piece of oak from an old gasthause in Germany that had supported a floor for two hundred years; within weeks of being cut, the wood split and changed shape. For this reason it seems a little contrary to nature to force upon this living thing the bondage of glue; nor for that matter to force it into shape under the tyrrany of metal fastenings.
My boxes fit together like a puzzle. They are then held firmly in place by means of a stout chord which is twisted and tightened by means of a wood baton. On most occasions I have used the tension in this chord to spring a catch. I developed the technique myself and to my knowledge am the only person to do so.
Most of the 'Fancy boxes' took two weeks or longer to make, because each new box has a different mode of construction and is unique. So the price, which includes your numbered, signed Tarot Chesta, offers exceptional value. The lid-spring catch type boxes are an exception in that I repeated this design on several boxes. This box is successful because of its simplicity. It also incorporates the sprung chord method.
