Boxes & Small Objects

Boxes — incense boxes (kōgō), writing boxes (suzuribako), tiered picnic boxes (jūbako), stationery stands — sit technically between pens and bowls: small enough to fit a modest furo, but with corners, hinges, and lids that behave like miniature furniture joints. Two things matter most here that don't come up as forcefully with a simple turned form:

• Corners and hinge lines are stress concentrators, exactly like the joints and edges discussed in Chapter 14 — nunokise cloth reinforcement is proportionally more important on a box than on a bowl, because a box has far more edges relative to its surface area.
• Lids are the classic maki-e canvas. Historical lacquerware collections are dominated by decorated box lids for exactly this reason — a flat, prominent, low-wear surface is the ideal ground for the gold-sprinkling techniques in Part IV. Documented museum examples include Edo/Meiji-period incense-set boxes decorated with plum and bamboo motifs and tiered stands referencing classical literature (The Tale of Genji). (Wikipedia, Japanese lacquerware)

Beyond those two points, the build sequence is identical to everything already covered: substrate prep (Ch. 12) → kokuso/sabi and nunokise at joints and corners (Ch. 13–14) → shitaji ground (Ch. 15) → naka-nuri and uwa-nuri (Ch. 16–17) → your choice of fuki-urushi, tamenuri, or roiro finish (Ch. 18–20) → optional maki-e/chinkin/raden decoration on the lid or lid interior (Part IV).