Handmade Vintage Papier Mache and Cloth Punch Puppet inlaid wood tray I believe the animal depicted

I believe the animal depicted on the lid of this beautiful presumed Japanese lacquer box is a Shi-shi or Shisa dog-- a creature resembling a cross between a lion and a dog that derives from Okinawan mythology and is perceived to be a ward protecting from evils

is absolutely frame-worthy as well—or

loss of paint in a few spots

with some loss of paint and assorted scuff marks

and would make a wonderful addition to any collection of fine boxes or Asiatica

Handmade Vintage Papier Mache and Cloth Punch Puppet inlaid wood tray I believe the animal depictedThis crazy face! How not to love??!! I don't know much about the origins of this vintage handmade painted papier mache and cloth Punch doll puppet, but I sure wish I'd had him when I was a kid doing puppet shows, as he would have made a great protagonist or antagonist in many a drama. Punch and Judy has roots in 16th century Italian commedia dell'arte, in which Punch (Punchinello) was the trickster figure or "lord of misrule" which this puppet surely