When examined under loupe, there are tiny, possibly Japanese, characters on the front.

The Shibayama technique was created by Onoki Senzo, an Edo haberdasher who lived during the 18th century. A variety of materials of varying colours and textures such as mother of pearl, horn, ivory and coral were utilised to inlay small, shaped pieces into a base material such as gold lacquer, wood, or ivory.

Named after the town in Chiba prefecture where Onoki lived, the western world became enamoured with the artform following displays at the Paris Exposition of 1867, with its popularity and demand exploding from the 1870s onwards. Artisans subsequently broke away from traditional Japanese everyday items such as netsuke, small flower vases, and boxes, to create larger-scale, multidisciplinary works combining the talents of inlay artists, metalworkers, goldsmiths, enamellers and lacquerers.