A Pleasant Surprise Dear reader, while the wooden box usually tells its story directly, in this case, we face a unique situation where the box is "dumb"-mute, in a sense. Thus, its story is being narrated by me, the author, based on personal discussions and historical research. Buying at an online auction where only pictures are available is never an ideal situation. There is no true substitute for having the object in hand or directly in front of you for a more accurate assessment. However, this is not always possible, so one must make the best of the information provided.
