“Yosegi-zaiku involves cutting a vertical shaft the size of a pencil of each variety of wood, sometimes as many as fifteen thin shafts, and positioning each color in a way that creates a pattern. The pieces are glued together and compressed until they form a solid, seamless block. Then, using a large, flat razor blade, a thin sheet is shaved from the top of the block. This paper-thin sheet, with its brilliant pattern, is glued to the surface of the box, giving the box a gorgeous, lustrous wrapping.
