Carved Tissue Box

About this piece

Carved Tissue Box — tissue holder with a carved lid. Made by hand from sheesham (rosewood) and carved by hand, in the Sillanwali Handicrafts workshop in Sillanwali, Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan. It measures 10 x 5 in. It costs PKR 2,450. It is ready to ship and delivered within 3 to 4 days anywhere in Pakistan, paid in cash on delivery.

A wooden tissue box that takes a standard tissue pack, with the lid carved by hand across its face. Ten inches by five. The lid lifts off whole to refill rather than sliding, and a small clasp holds it down so it does not shift when the box is knocked. The carving is cut freehand into solid sheesham and left in a natural polish, so it reads as shadow in the grain instead of pattern printed onto it — which is what keeps it from looking like the moulded boxes sold in the same size. It is sized for a dining table, a desk or a guest room, and it fits a car dashboard, which is where a lot of them end up. Because it holds a refill pack rather than loose tissues, it stays looking like a wooden box rather than a dispenser. Made in Sillanwali, Sargodha, and carved individually, so the pattern and the grain differ from one to the next. Dust with a soft dry cloth and a dry brush into the carving; keep water, polish sprays and chemical cleaners off it. A name, a date or a short line of calligraphy can be engraved on the lid, which makes it a common corporate and housewarming gift.

Every piece is made by hand, so the wood grain, carving and colour vary a little from the photo. That variation is normal and is what makes each one its own.