Box, Storage

Description

Steam-bent maple oval box (a) and lid (b). Two swallow-tails plus a partial one on the box, and one on the lid, all secured by copper tacks. White pine top and bottom headers held in place by copper points. The exterior of the box appears to have had some thin clear-coat applied. The box roughly corresponds to a #3 box in the 11-box series, but shallower since it has been cut down. The box was cut down at some time, leaving only a stub of the third (bottom) swallow-tail on the box. A white paper label with a printed red border pasted to the center of the top, with inked script, "Linen / Thread". White strip of paper on the box end with losses near the center. Script in pencil reads "Ang...[?]". Although the label identifies the box as holding linen thread, stains on both the pine bottom and maple rim inside along with the presence of verdigris on the clinched tack ends inside indicate some other material in the box at some time.