BOX, JEWELRY

Description: EXTERIOR OF BOX IS LACQUERED, DARK BROWN AND RED. ON LID IS SCENE, WITH GOLD DETAIL, FEATURING JAPANESE STYLE BUILDINGS, RIVER, BRIDGE, HILLS, TREES, AND BIRDS. THERE ARE ALSO SIMILAR SCENES ON SIDES AND FRONT OF BOX, BUT LACKING GOLD DETAILS. THERE ARE ALSO REMNANTS OF MOTHER OF PEARL ON LID OF BOX. BOX STANDS ON FOUR FEET. IN GOLD, ON BOTTOM OF BOX, IS "MADE IN JAPAN". THERE IS ALSO A WIND-UP KEY ON UNDERSIDE OF BOX. ON FRONT OF BOX IS A METAL KEYHOLE. LID OPENS ON TWO HINGES AT BACK. INSIDE LID IS A MIRROR WITH THE IMAGE OF A JAPANESE WOMAN, HOLDING PARASOL, PAINTED ON IT. THE WOMAN IS STANDING ON HILLS AND THERE IS A BRANCH OF FLOWERS TO HER LEFT. THERE IS A COMPARTMENT SUSPENDED ABOVE MAIN BODY OF BOX THAT HAS TWO DOORS ON A HORIZONTAL PLANE WITH ORANGE TASSELS TO OPEN THEM. BELOW THIS IS MAIN COMPARTMENT, WITH A RING HOLDER AND A RECTANGULAR PIECE OF WOOD, PAINTED BLACK, THAT COVERS MUSICAL MECHANISM. BOX IS LINED WITH ORANGE VELVETY MATERIAL. THERE IS SOME WEAR OF LAQUER ON FEET.

History: IN MAY 1948 THE ALBERTA CHAPTER OF THE JAPANESE CANADIAN CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION WAS FORMED. FROM 1991 TO 1998 HANAE IWAASA-ROBBS WAS PRESIDENT OF THE JCCA IN LETHBRIDGE. ARTIFACTS WERE ENTRUSTED TO HER BY THE LOCAL JAPANESE COMMUNITY AND SHE COLLECTED THEM IN AN OFFICE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF LETHBRIDGE. *UPDATE* IN 2018, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK CONDUCTED AN ARTIFACT SURVEY, WHICH INCLUDED A SERVING DISH AND A JEWELRY BOX DONATED BY THE NIKKEI CULTURAL SOCIETY. AS PART OF THE RESEARCH PROCESS, PUNDYK CONTACTED THE FORMER OPERATOR OF THE JAPANESE CULTURAL ASSOCIATION, HANAE IWASSA. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PERSONAL MEMORY OF THE ARTIFACTS BY THE LOCAL JAPANESE COMMUNITY PRIOR TO THE ITEMS BEING DONATED TO THE JAPANESE CULTURAL ASSOCIATION IS UNKNOWN.