Turning Challenge. Rectangular blank

Here is a turning a made a while back I call a butterfly box. I used a rectangular blank of Apple wood for the base and the lid was turned from a separate piece.  It is easier than it might appear. Yes, you could turn a round blank and cut the sides of but where it the challenge there? 

 I found that if I glued a piece of "waste" wood to the side of the block before I started I could avoid possible tear outs as the tool exited the open side of the wood. If have also used this technique on square blanks in a similar design....only they end up with 4 legs.