19th Century Birdseye Maple Large 'Thread' Box
£695
A fascinating early 19th century box of the highest quality, birdseye maple with rosewood stringing and ebonised detail. Its purpose is to contain a variety of threads, wrapped around purpose made multi thread flat wooden bobbins, each seated into individual slots in either a lift out top tray or the bottom of the box.
We have tried to define its purpose and although we have called it a thread box, it could easily be an embroiderers box or for tapestry threads or even a commercial thread sample box. It certainly is a box with a serious purpose, far more than a simple ladies' sewing box.
Fitted with a Bramah lock it helps date the box to the beginning of the 19th century, (similar box designs with other purposes have generally been dated to the 1820's). It also suggests the owner valued the content of the box.
The box is in beautiful condition, we have fully - but at the same time sympathetically - restored the box, thus maintaining its beautiful condition as well as its age and patina. The extent of restoration was not structural, the box and its insides were in fine order it was the cosmetic details that we have attended to.
Size: 36 cm wide by 27 cm deep and 18 cm high.