Naqshi Tissue Box

About this piece

Naqshi Tissue Box — A lidded tissue box with a scratched border. Made by hand from sheesham (rosewood) and coloured lac and finished in naqshi lac, the pattern scratched back through the colour, in the Sillanwali Handicrafts workshop in Sillanwali, Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan. It costs PKR 1,450. It is ready to ship and delivered within 3 to 4 days anywhere in Pakistan, paid in cash on delivery.

A rectangular tissue box in sheesham, banded top and bottom with hand-scratched naqshi in gold and red. Sized for a standard box of tissues. A flat-sided box is harder to work than a turned one, and that is the whole interest of this piece. On a plate or a jar the lathe carries the tool and the line comes out true on its own; on four flat faces the artisan has to hold the line by hand and bring it round three corners so it closes where it started. The bands are laid on from a battī, a stick of coloured lac, and cut back through with the sathrī by eye, and any drift shows immediately against a straight edge — which is why the borders sit at the top and bottom rather than running over the whole face. The lid lifts off whole rather than sliding, so refilling means dropping a new pack in rather than feeding tissues through a slot. Made in Sillanwali, Sargodha, and cut individually, so the bands differ from one box to the next. Dust with a soft dry cloth, keep water and polish sprays off the lac, and keep it out of direct sunlight so the red and the gold stay true. A name or a date can be worked into the band on request.

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.