A rare find and a real beauty, found in upstate NY. This is a small, paint decorated, folk art book shaped box, carved from one piece of wood, with a slide opening on the long side. It feels close kin to a spruce gum box, but the slide on those is typically on one short end, and they tend to be a bit larger--and this feels to me a bit earlier, c. 1840s or so would be my guess. With this gorgeous wide band of rich mustard paint across the near-top of the spine for the title area (and a thinner band of the same at the very bottom of the spine) and various sorts of faux grain painting everywhere else, including what looks maybe like some thumb printing/finger painting on the exterior of the slide. And then, on the underside of that slide, the happy discovery of the incised name of its maker, I presume: Mark Bailey. I love book shaped boxes and objects of all sorts, but this is really a special and uncommon one.
3 1/2" x 2 3/8" x 1 5/8". Very good antique condition. There is one small, old nick to the edge of the wood along the back side, near center--as documented. Slide lid glides in and and out smoothly. General light wear as there should be but very little paint loss at all. Wonderful.
You might also like
