2 ½ in x 2 in
Copper, Brass and Nickel Box
with fitted lid
This little box now belongs to my daughter, Kathy, in Fargo, and I remembered to take a couple of photos of it while there in January. I probably should have used some type of cleaner on it before photographing but I sort of like the tarnished look.
The box itself is made of copper, the moon on the lid is made of brass, and the wave is nickel. The wave is in honor of the famous Japanese printmaker, Hokusai. 
Art students are required to take two art classes that are unrelated to their major interest. I took Ceramics and will do a different post on the pieces I made in that class. The other class was one of the hardest art classes I ever took at the university. It was jewelry making. Although I loved the final results, getting there was hard, tedious and time consuming. The sawing of these metals isn’t easy, especially when using the thicker pieces of metal…the student grade. It makes you appreciate the thinner finer grades. Silver is a little softer and easier to work with. I’ll take photos another time of the few pieces of jewelry I made.
Besides the cutting of the metal, lighting the gas torches to solder the pieces together, unnerved me no end. I’ll never use those again.
thesnakeandiandthebutterfly 
A nice little box! I like the wave, reminds me of the ocean I usually walk along the beach and doing nothing. I look forward to your photos of jewelry pieces. 🙂
😉
Thank you Lea and Dp. With the jewelry, I think I will shine them first because they are made of silver.
:up: Niceeee
Nice little box. I want that little box. I collect boxes. 😉
very nice, Pam. are you particularly fond of Japanese art?- you mentioned Hokusai. will be nice to see the jewelry sometime! you have a pretty hand.
Very beautiful box. I love boxes ike that. I have a small jewellery box made of inlaid wood that I've had since I was 5.
Cool box. Looking forward to the other two posts.
Nice work!I don't envy your sawing that wave out.
Linda, thanks. I used to collect tiny wooden boxes and had 3 or 4 of them from different places. They were the kind that when closed, you didn't notice they were anything other than a piece of wood. All disappeared over the years. The suspects were friends of my children. Their fingers were a bit sticky. Jill, thank you. Yes I am fond of the Japanese printmakers and painters. But I am fond of so many different kinds of art and artists from different times, I don't think there are any I like more than the others. Thanks Lois. Me too. Thank you Carol. I'll have to get some silver cleaner and spruce up the jewelry I made. dW: Thanks. Yeah, sawing a curve in metal isn't easy. While soldering it onto the box is when the metal starts to bubble and move. You can see copper through a small, elongated hole in the wave, that is where the nickel began to separate and that's when I stopped.
🙂
Darko, that's it exactly. Thanks for including the link and the image. I used it a lot for inspiration.
I recognised one of Hokusai`s paintings in this :yes: This one:The Great Wave off Kanagawa belongs to his ukiyo-e series of prints Thirty-six views of Mount Fuji. When I was in Japan in 2006. I was very excited when I saw one of his ukiyo-e prints in Yokohama History Museum 😀
Just found photos of his exhibition here.And I see I didn't have his name spelled right. It is John Tzelepis. I left out an 'e' after the z.
Originally posted by SittingFox:
Adele, thank you. I have a much greater appreciation for the people who hand craft jewelry and any metal object for that matter. My teacher, John Tzlepis (I'm not sure if that is the correct spelling) did his master's thesis on metal suspension bridges. The art gallery at ASU was filled with his tiny bridges. Wish I'd had my camera!
What an interesting project! :up:I can well imagine that jewellry is difficult to make. I've never worked with metal, but getting the fine details right must require great concentration and dexterity.
Thanks for the links! 🙂
And with the correct spelling of his last name, just found his site with photos of his jewelry. I thought he'd gone back to New York but, apparently, he lives in Arizona now.
i recognized the hokusai wave immediately. it is a universal favorite.i studied ukiyo-e before illustrating "japanese love poems" for doubleday. i was very lucky. the metropolitan museum of art in new york had an enormous show of japanese art ukiyo-e and another at the same time momoyama screens.nice little box. :happy:
how adorable this box is!I was fortunate to experience ukiyo-e at Ronin Gallery on 49th street in Manhattan. My offices were on 54th street and visiting it was a treat! I do own two authentic pieces that i paid an arm and a leg to them ..they both hang at my Asian room in my mountain house 🙂 Also at the NY University where I did study for n extensive period of time, the japanese Art Society had similar displays during the Lectures. All entry it is free and if anybody is interested simply call (212) 489-7696 for events :)I hope one day the trip to Japan becomes a reality :heart: it is a burning desire 🙂
Very nice, Pam. Love it. :yes:Just a suggestion, but that little box is so nice that I think you should make a box to keep it in. Of course, if that one turned out nice too you might have to make yet another box…:D
Originally posted by ellinidata:
Thank you Angeliki. Originally posted by ellinidata:
That's fantastic! I'll bet they are beautiful.
Originally posted by I_ArtMan:
That it is Scott. The Phoenix Art Museum has one whole gallery of Asian art. Haven't been in about a year and I'm due to renew my membership. Originally posted by I_ArtMan:
Thank you.
Originally posted by edwardpiercy:
Thanks Ed.Originally posted by edwardpiercy:
I'd only go back to this and make another one if I got a different kind of welder where you didn't have to light gas torches. I think there's something called a Tig Welder, but I'm not certain.
I collect small wooden boxes, too. My little sister gave me one years ago with a hinged lid that is almost impossible to open. I use it to hold marbles and dice for a board game that I have. I also have three small "pirate's chests" made of cedar–small souvenir boxes that I've collected in travels and such.This box is absolutely lovely. It's very hard for me to pass up small boxes of any material. I just have to open them and see what treasures they might hold.I think the empty ones hold the greatest treasures of all. They get filled by our imaginations.:smile:
@ Star. Oh the photo I could show for "pirate's chest". But I'll save that for Angeliki's possible box post. 🙂
Originally posted by ellinidata:
And you won`t regret a bit :yes:You have Asian room in your house? Photos please!!!
Ohhh, love your little box. It is so cute and owns a truly unique look. How old is the box? I had a little wooden box and the top of it was covered by a painting of Eve Foster, a Jamaican artist 🙂 Oh, BTW, your finger nails look strong, healthy, and nice rounded shape ^^ Hehe, they are kind of eye-catching, Pam, and make those photos more interesting. I'd love to see your Ceramics and Jewelry blogs.
Originally posted by gdare:
you tickle me with your photo albums Darko!
Originally posted by edwardpiercy:
😮 I have them in Pennsylvania.. 42inches of snow Eddie… In New York I have Greek boxes only :p
@ Angeliki.What we really need is a Pirate's Chest post. Never mind, as soon as I get the laptop booted up I'll drop a photo on your recent post anyway. We had over 90" here last winter. This winter virtually nothing. You seem to be getting it all. The Weather Goddess doesn't seem to favor me this year. Either that or she has her delivery addresses mixed up.
Originally posted by Stardancer:
Thanks Star. Originally posted by Stardancer:
What a delightful way of thinking. Love it!
Originally posted by NLDH:
Thank you LD. The copper box is only a few years old. I made it in my jewelry class at ASU in about 2005 or 2006. All the little wooden boxes I had, 4 of them, have been stolen. Originally posted by NLDH:
Thanks! I still massage lotion into the skin and the nails. Just wish the skin was as smooth as the nails.
Unfortunately, anything I get interested in turns into a collection. I have boxes of all sorts and sizes, from jewelry boxes to decorative tins to metal, glass, wood, ceramic boxes. I have had to quit collecting. Don't have room for anything else!BTW, Tzelepis jewelry is classic and simple but has beautiful lines.We discussed your jewelry making when I was brand new on Opera. I make (or made) jewelry, too, but beading, not metal work.
Originally posted by ellinidata:
You will get there, I am certain. I'm guessing within the next two years. Just my intuition talking here.
Originally posted by edwardpiercy:
😥 She is breezing my Gr bu$$ for sure! another 5"-7" on Monday is to fall! That's it! am moving to Spokane! :p
Originally posted by PainterWoman:
that's when my young will be 18 Pam. It is a blessing when you can travel and under the penalty of law you can leave your children alone for a weekend! I mean this kid is so self contained, not even an adult can do what she does!. Now Japan will require more than a weekend, no? :p
Ain't that a bitch, going through photos like that?I've been looking for a slide of the Royal Yacht Britannia when she sailed past my house during the Royal Visit, back in the late '50s, I think it was. My dad took the shot, but I'm double-damned if I can find it.
I also think the little box is adorable. It's a nice subject, and I'm glad you didn't polish it first. It has a nice patina.My uncle made a rowboat for my parents by welding together four car roofs. I inherited a large number of photos, and I've been going through them hoping to find a photo of it somewhere, but so far no luck.
Originally posted by L2D2:
With all my paintings, art supplies and found furniture, I absolutely have to put a stop to any further collections. So maybe it's a good thing all my little wooden boxes were stolen. Originally posted by L2D2:
Yes, his work is beautiful and much more finer tuned than mine. There is a bracelet on the third page of his site I'd love to have.I do remember us talking about handmade jewelry. Do you have any photos of your beaded jewelry?
Originally posted by ellinidata:
If not 10 days, then at least two weekends and all that's in between.Originally posted by debplatt:
Thanks Deb. Next time I see it, I might give a good polish to see what it looks like and take another photo or two.Originally posted by debplatt:
Oh, I hope you can find it. That would be very cool to see. Originally posted by derWandersmann:
It sure is dW. I've been going through and trying to organize old photos for the last year now it seems. I don't seem to be making much of a dent.
speaking of boxes,Happy Valentines' Day with another kind of a box :heart:
Happy Valentine's Day:queen: Pam
Happy Valentine's Day, Pam!:heart:
Angeliki, Carlos and Ed: Thank you very much. The same to you. Hope you all had a nice day. Mine was very productive I might add.
And a Happy Chinese News Year! It is the year of the tiger.
You're right Deb. Thanks. Three celebrations all rolled into one….Lunar New Year, Year of the Tiger and Valentine's Day. Love the tiger picture. Is it another of your daughter's when she was little?
Thank you Boban.
A lovely box Pam.
Originally posted by PainterWoman:
Thanks! It is. :happy: I liked her interpretation of the stripeyness.