I purchased this wonderful box this summer from a dealer in Pennsylvania and wanted to live with it a bit! He thought perhaps Victorian era; I might guess is 1920s-40s, but am not completely sure, nor I am certain of its origins. It feels a bit miraculous to me though, the way this face is carved into the burl, making perfect use of the color variation, and with the grain of the burl itself giving waves to the hair--and then stippled carving on the other side framing the profile of the face, which I keeping thinking of as the face of a crescent moon! And then, inside, the delight of a second face on the underside of the lid, looking even more moon-like, and framed with a halo of finer pin prick detail. It seems possible this box, was made to hold an ink well, but maybe just precious jewels! Whatever the case, I think it's pretty fantastic.
3 5/8" w x 3 7/16" d x 3 1/4" t and in excellent condition. Photos show the pin in one the hinges as having slid a bit; it slides back into place no problem, and hinges are in great shape, tightly attached and opening and closing smoothly.
