I wanted to give my puzzle box a mysterious and timeless aesthetic, I did so by using simple materials found in most eras but also a complex artistic design not only in the wood, but in the shape itself. I wanted my puzzle box to go beyond any sense of time or era, adding to the mysteriousness of the box itself. I used brass and wood to give it an antique feel, but also a modern feel, as these materials have been accessible and exploited for quite some time and I don’t see the use of wood or brass dwindling anytime in the foreseeable future. I gave it a dated spin by the simplistic structure and build of the box itself, but a modern design due to the fact that my puzzle box is a cylinder whereas most puzzle boxes in the past consisted of flat sides. I wanted my puzzle box to move past a construct of time to give it a looming sense of curiosity, and a classic look. I also used curves due to the contour bias and wanting to really exploit the familiarity that comes with curves as it does with classic or timeless items.  Adding to that I wanted to include aspects of my personal aesthetic into the project with a geometric pattern on the top of the box as pictured and a smooth glossy lacquered appearance for the wood.

Of course this isn’t the only aesthetic that I could have went with.  One possible option would have been to embrace the maximalism of Japanese style puzzle boxes and adding a slight twist to it by applying the Art Nouveau aesthetic to the piece with whiplash curves and floral patterns rather than the traditional geometric patterns.

https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/art-nouveau