This is truly a blast from the past. A unique item and a bit fragile, however it has a lot of character, especially if you decorating in primitives or Japanese or Chinese. This box is a bit delicate and not recommended to use with heavy objects.
I believe this could be a historical item and worth of being in a museum, but I could be wrong. I was a bit shocked to see that it appears to depict a slavery scene on one of the panels. This is just something you almost never see.
I have difficulty identifying the country of origin but I thinks it's from Japan or China and either late 1800s or early 1900s. If I were to guess on a date, I would say, most likely 1906, but I know of have no way to prove it.
If anyone has information about this item, please reach out. I'd love to update the listing with details. Thanks in advance.
Size OD = 13 x 13 x 12 1/2"