Through the early 1900s, persimmon-dyed paper was used for a multitude of purposes: hung as a dividing screen between sections of a room, to write and record medical or administrative records, even as a raincoat to cover one’s shoulders in inclement weather. It is translucent, luminescent and extraordinarily textured, strong, pliable and resistant to insects. The sheet featured in this kobako is over a hundred years old and is paired with a highly textured and multicolored book cloth made from a vintage kimono. As with any kimono, the exterior of this enclosure slides open to reveal a surprising inner lining – in this case, a silken pattern of playful wings, also taken from the same kimono.

From the exterior, this enclosure is offset from left-to-right and it is multi-dimensional from top-to-bottom. As the top slides off, the interior contains panels in the top and bottom sections that serve as guardrails for the two parts to slide together again and then “lock” in place.