Not going out...

Another wet, miserable day forced me to look indoors for my Blip.  I've been cleaning this trinket box - it's a notorious dust gatherer - so this is a pic of what I did today!

Not very exciting but a job worth doing.  We both love carved wood and couldn't resist this carved piece.  The box (12"x8"x3") came from an antique shop in Kirkby Stephen about 35 years ago and the vendor suggested it was of late 19c Oriental origin.  He wasn't sure and neither are we.  The Acanthus and Berry design is universal so it's anybody's guess where it was made.  The deep cut style is interesting and dates it before the mass produced thin layered types so prevalent of the early 20th century.  It could be Indian, maybe Rosewood but I've seen similar Japanese and Burmese designs.  I also have some tables of this deep carved style, bought in locations connected with sea ports suggesting imports by British servicemen returning from foreign parts.