Curious about the source of this box design

[Kalia Kliban]

I've seen a million variations of this box design online from many, many different makers. This makes me think it may have been popularized by one turner and then copied ad nauseum. Does anyone know the source for this shape? It's a distinctive and pleasing design. I'm just curious whose design it actually is. Anyone know? This particular one (the wood is redheart) was made by George Watkins, and I snagged it at random from a heap of similar images.
Kalia

 

[Donna Banfield]

Michael Stafford is the turner I first saw this design in boxes. I have seen this design attributed to him for at least 20 years. I don't know if he is the originator, but he has made multiple boxes in this design, in as many wood species he can acquire.

 

[Chris Lawrence]

Ancient Asian potters? This shape is very similar to some lidded jars from Asia. Its probably similar to lots of the hollow forms out there. The shapes are very similar to southwestern pottery. I will not lie when I need inspiration for a new hollow form shape I scroll through images of southwestern pottery for ideas to incorporate.

 

[JeffSmith]

As mentioned, Michael Stanford has been turning this box for at least twenty years - I just saw one he posted within the last 4 months or so…to me, there’s an Asian feel to the form, not unlike the various forms of ginger jars I’ve seen for decades.
Michael Stamford posts on a couple of forums - you might try sawmill creek if you’d like to ask him directly.

 

[Kalia Kliban]

Michael Stafford (not Stanford or Stamford) it is, though the info I've dug up so far says he was inspired by Richard Raffan's book on boxes, so I'll do some further digging to see if this is a riff on one of Raffan's designs. Thank you all for helping me to track this down.

 

[Michael Stafford]

I am certainly not the first person to turn boxes of this form. The first time I saw a box similar to this it was by Bob Krauss. Then I saw another box similar to what I am turning these days by Kip Christensen. I have never successfully turned a copy of either one of those boxes.

In my attempts to turn boxes similar to those of Kip and Bob I ended up with the box form that I have been turning for a number of years. The final form of my box was refined with the helpful criticism of my wife and her friend who was a design major.

I turn several variations of this box. For a few more examples of my boxes please review my album in the AAW gallery. https://www.aawforum.org/community/media/users/michael-stafford.1052/

 

[Mike Peace]

A very similar design was in Chris Stott's book Turned Boxes: 50 Designs published in 2002.

 

[Kalia Kliban]

I am certainly not the first person to turn boxes of this form. The first time I saw a box similar to this it was by Bob Krauss. Then I saw another box similar to what I am turning these days by Kip Christensen. I have never successfully turned a copy of either one of those boxes.

In my attempts to turn boxes similar to those of Kip and Bob I ended up with the box form that I have been turning for a number of years. The final form of my box was refined with the helpful criticism of my wife and her friend who was a design major.

I turn several variations of this box. For a few more examples of my boxes please review my album in the AAW gallery. https://www.aawforum.org/community/media/users/michael-stafford.1052/

Hi Michael, thanks for chiming in here! I'm not sure why it is that my Pinterest feed has been packed with images of this general style of box lately, but I figured I'd check here to find out where they originated since I think they're beautiful. I'll definitely peruse your photos in the forum. I'm looking forward to seeing some in this style by the other makers, and appreciate you including their names.

 

[Gabriel Hoff]

I'll give it a try. Have turned a lot of boxes...

 

[Bryan Field]

I think you are on your way down a rabbit hole! Trying to find the originator of a well copied design is probably going to take you way back in history with no definitive answer. It is a lovely design. I have found Asian pottery designs to be inspiring, and I think that Chris Lawrence is probably on the right track. Good luck with your search!

 

[Kirk Amidon]

This design is quite appealing. I think that I know the answer already, but if anyone could post a picture of one with the top removed, I'd appreciate seeing it.

 

[Paul May]

A very similar design was in Chris Stott's book Turned Boxes: 50 Designs published in 2002.

Hey Mike,
Your blog link is dead.....
Paul

 

[hockenbery]

QUOTE="Kalia Kliban, post: 222261, member: 29308"]
I'll do some further digging to see if this is a riff on one of Raffan's designs. Thank you all for helping me to track this down.
[/QUOTE]

Looks like another case of the Chinese copying woodturnings
Left is a Ming dynasty jar - black is a trace of the box lid.

 

[Doug Rasmussen]

Imo, the more delicate, under emphasized gripping lip of the Chinese jar's lid is ideal as shown in hock's post. On the other hand the woodturned lip is way out of proportion to its function.

 

[Michael Stafford]

This design is quite appealing. I think that I know the answer already, but if anyone could post a picture of one with the top removed, I'd appreciate seeing it.

Sapodilla



Spalted hackberry

 

[Hugh]

If I remember correctly.......it has been a lot of years.........one of the AAW Symposiums I went to (my guess is late 1990s)........Someone, maybe Michael Stafford, did a demo on making a box like this. At the time, this person was making them out of Cocobolo wood.
But, then I really like the idea that the Chinese were copying the design many years ago.
Back when I was first starting to turn wood, I made a trip to the Asian Art Museum in SF. Terrific shapes in ceramic.