Claro Walnut Box with Desert Ironwood Inlay

Del Stubbs once wrote that Claro Walnut Box with Desert Ironwood Inlay "represented [his] goal of quiet, of subtle play of light, and of oriental proportions." The box's rounded form and harmonious proportions recall those of a Japanese tea caddy, a vessel meant to hold powdered tea for use during the tea ceremony. The desert ironwood inlay on the top of the lid, a material that is difficult to work with due to its hardness, provides an interesting detail on an otherwise austere surface.