All works sold at 2000 Cranes are accompanied by a custom-made wooden box, or ki-bako, which serves as both protection for the piece and as a calling card for the artist. The ribbon is tied in a butterfly knot called cho-cho musubi.
This page will guide you through making cho cho musubi - an essential skill any collector of Japanese ceramics should master.
The artist's name or stamp should be in the bottom-left corner. Make sure that the wood grain of the lid matches the grain along the corner edges of the box.
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The ribbon should loop over the top-left corner of the box. The cover paper should be placed on top so that the folds are at the front and back of the box - not at the sides.
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Just as you would when lacing a shoe, pull both ends of the ribbon up, adjusting them until they are the same length.
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Pull the corner loop inward to a point near the center of the box. The ends of the ribbon may become uneven, so this might take a few times to get it right.
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Bring the right end of the ribbon (purple) over the corner loop, under, and out to the left.
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...bring the right-hand ribbon end (yellow) over the left and down. This will make a loop in the center.
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Using your thumb, halve the left-hand end (yellow) by pushing it through the center loop to the opposite side.
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