Houten doosje bij munt 400 jaar handelsbetrekkingen Nederland- Japan 2009

This wooden box, by Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt NV, commemorates 400 years of trade between the Netherlands and Japan. The box itself has a beautiful, warm tone to it, the colour of pale honey, which for me immediately suggests something precious. There's a great clarity to the construction, an honest, unpretentious approach. The surface is smooth, but you can still see the grain of the wood, and that gives it a kind of depth. If you look closely at the corner, you can see how neatly the pieces fit together, a satisfying combination of precision and natural material. The printing on the box, the text and logo, are simple and understated, like little thoughts or gestures. It reminds me of the kind of quiet beauty you see in Shaker furniture, where everything is reduced to its essence. Art, like trade, is about exchange, and this box feels like a perfect vessel for that, carrying meaning across time and cultures. I find there is an ambiguity to the piece, as its function is to both conceal and protect the coin, whilst also providing the viewer with a sense of wonder.