Overview
A striking hexagonal wooden box featuring a complex twelve-point 'Compass Rose' or 'Mariner's Star' marquetry lid. The piece utilizes contrasting wood veneers—likely maple and mahogany or cherry—to create a geometric optical illusion.
Preliminary identification
Photo reference
1 uploaded photo
Overview
A striking hexagonal wooden box featuring a complex twelve-point 'Compass Rose' or 'Mariner's Star' marquetry lid. The piece utilizes contrasting wood veneers—likely maple and mahogany or cherry—to create a geometric optical illusion.
Story
Sailors once used these star patterns to navigate by the heavens. This box brings that celestial geometry down to earth, likely crafted by a dedicated woodworker in a home studio during the 1970s craft revival.
Maker / Origin
While unsigned, this reflects the 'Studio Craft Movement' where artisans moved away from industrial production to celebrate raw materials. It represents a time when woodworking magazines and local guilds flourished, sharing complex patterns like this starburst.
Condition & Value
The finish appears highly glossy, suggesting a later polyurethane or lacquer coating. There is some minor edge wear visible, but the inlay remains tight. A well-preserved finish maintains the higher end of the value range. Value is driven by the complexity of the lid's inlay and the condition of the finish.
Full Research
Sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance pulled from recent auction results.
Build on this identification
Layer in sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance.
Comparable demand stays strongest where maker, originality, and venue confidence line up. Broader examples still trade, but the range tightens quickly when provenance, condition, or selling lane fit is missing.
Best Venue
Specialty auction or a focused dealer with buyers already in this lane.
Signed example with light edge wear and original frame.
Comparable format with stronger provenance and cleaner surface.
Smaller related piece with visible craquelure and trimmed margins.
Period match with softer condition and weaker subject matter.
Close market lane comp with similar material and presentation.