The name of this box is Tender Messenger, reflecting the fragile but hopeful return of Spring. The body of the box is Black Ash burl carved from a slab. The lid is carved from a sheet of 2% shibuichi (98% copper/2%silver) from Phillip Baldwin. The sequence below shows the piece in progress. The fern fiddleheads and the beech leaf were also sawn and carved from sheet 22k gold and copper. There is small amount of 18k gold fused to the lid to add a color and texture contrast. The lid was patinated with rokusho irotsuke per my tutorial (see link above).

The reverse of the lid has a design of spring Willow in katakiri bori (line engraving simulating brush strokes).

Black Ash burl with outline drawn

Box form roughed out with band-saw and rotary burrs

Box form with nearly finished outer form. Beginnings of hollowing with drill press and rotary file.

The wood was very lightly burned with a torch to enhance the grain. The finish is Danish oil, applie very sparingly.

The lid was sawn from a sheet of

2% shibuichi from Phillip Baldwin 

Carving progressing on the lid. The largest "nub" was raised by punching from the back.

Mylar patterns used for transferring pattern to gold  and copper sheet and also to position pieces in the composition.

The fiddleheads sawn from 22k gold.

Sawn copper leaf and fiddleheads soldered to a Sterling silver mandrel to aid in holding.

The fiddleheads were carved using a combination of filing, rotary tools, scraping, engraving and chasing.

Here about one-half done.

The copper leaf was carved with files and rotary burrs and the texture was engraved.

Engraving  with a round-bottom graver using Lindsay Air-Graver.

The light gold highlights are fused 18k gold paste solder. This photo shows the paste in place ready to heat. The lid is covered with flux to aid the fusing and prevent oxidation.

The final coloration on the lid was done per the instructions given in my patination tutorial (see link above).