Description
Very old sewing box with unusual layers of detail. This is a fine example of "tramp art", which is a form of folk art based on using simple forms & construction techniques & often found objects. It's an interesting contrast to the highly curated world of fine art, & it has a sense of practicality & humility which is very appealing. It's quite hard to date tramp art, but I think this piece is from the later 1800s, possibly the early 1900s, although I think there might have some a more recent repair on the bottom as I can see a glimpse of what appears to be a newer silver brad or small nail. The collector from whom I got this said this was in his family when they lived in Europe, & they were from the German section of Switzerland, neighboring Bavaria & the Black Forest region of Germany, where the tramp art tradition is very strong. The box is made of a re-purposed old box, & there is thin green fabric mounted on the top & four sides, & some of the fabric is torn. The inside is crisp & clean & features a mirror on the underside of the lid, & the mirror has been embellished with wood trim which has been painted gold. The wood ornamentation is missing small pieces on each side, & in some places here have been replacement pieces mounted; for example, on the front face, compare the corner pyramids on the left top & bottom, which are slightly larger than those of the right top & bottom. The outside of the hand carved & hand shaped wood was painted brown, perhaps to unify the repairs or replacement parts. The artist took unusual care with the details, showing the quality craftsmanship in this hand made piece, including using gold-colored metal embellishments on the top & three sides. The front lock has no key. The box is hinged, & the hinges are secure & solid. The bottom shows small holes in the 4 corners, probably for feet which are now missing, which also explains why the bottom of the box does not show much wear. The box measures about 11 1/4" wide by 6 1/4" deep by 5" high. The inside opening is about 9 1/2" wide by by 4 3/8" deep by 2 7/8" high. The box is overall in quite good condition, & shows the kind of wear & tear, dings & dents, & losses you would expect from something this old. It weighs about 2 1/2 pounds. Intricate example of the tramp art form. FREE shipping within the United States. I'll gladly combine shipping with other items whenever possible. For shipments elsewhere, please contact me for a shipping quote. 12328 Tramp Art Sewing Box, Exceptional Old Large Hand Made Wood Great Antique Folk Salvage, Re-Purpose As Jewelry Box Or Trinket
