Japanese traditional Paulownia box

Japnaese traditonal Paulownia box “KIRIBAKO”  By the end of the Muromachi Period ( 1,393～ ）in Japan, when tea houses were becoming prevalent, boxes made purely for tea and tea instruments first appeared on the scene. With preferences varying between tea makers and tea ceremony masters, boxes came to be made with specific characteristics relative to each kind of container. Tea boxes became as much a symbol of proof of its contents in addition to preserving an protecting its contents. Kiribako then became mainstream with the continued popularity and advancement of tea culture.