Antique Japanese Edo Period Gilt Copper Menuki Pair of Wasps Suzumebachi In High Relief Hardware and shelving designed for functional

and shelving designed for functional household use

This is a standard  size Soroban for basic calculations

surface wear

Chestnut wood was a wood of choice for such a chest being strong as well as having a beautiful grain pattern

With a blade length (teeth area) of 30" long by 6" wide

Antique Japanese Edo Period Gilt Copper Menuki Pair of Wasps Suzumebachi In High Relief Hardware and shelving designed for functionalA finely detailed pair of menuki (ornamental sword hilt fittings) depicting large wasps (suzumebachi ), cast and chiseled in copper alloy with traces of original gilding. The insects are rendered with lifelike accuracylarge compound eyes, articulated wings, and the characteristic narrow waistshowcasing the remarkable realism and natural observation typical of late Edo kink () craftsmanship. The wasp was a favored but relatively rare motif in samurai