Asian Wood and Brass Jewelry Case. Multiple brass decorations on the outside, with a unique hinged lid that opens three-fourths of the way along the top instead of the full length of the top. Interior covered in lines of kanji. 

Size: 18 x 10 1/8 x 4 1/2 in. 

#8391 . 

A jewelry box, also known as a case or the more archaic term casket, is a decorative box or container that is usually smaller than a chest and is typically decorated. In recent centuries they are often used as boxes for jewelry, but in earlier periods they were also used for keeping important documents and smaller items, often for religious purposes. Many ancient caskets are reliquaries, for both Buddhist and Christian relics. Although mostly cube-shaped with a hinged or removable lid, there are distinct variants, such as the tall round casket called a pyxis (after a shape in Ancient Greek pottery) that has remained popular in Islamic art, often made from a section of the ivory tusk of an elephant. The term “casket” overlaps with “strongbox,” a heavily-made box for storing or transporting coin and other valuables. These include more metal, in bands or as the main material, and are functional rather than decorative. Though caskets are often regarded as boxes for jewelry, at least until the Renaissance this was probably not a common use, as at least the most important jewelry was kept in a strongbox. The overall difference between a jewelry box and a strongbox is primarily determined by the level of accessibility, which can be complete or extremely limited depending on locks or other latching mechanisms, as well as the type of items placed inside.