I love an early box of watercolors, but even more I love finding a lovely box with lots of notes inside--and happily this is both! I haven't been able to determine the maker of the "toy" watercolors, embossed with crowns" but believe they date to the 1860s-70s, and certainly either British or German, made for export. (I love that yellow paper label announcing them "Free from Poison," with text in German and French following. And then these notes folded up inside--with the names of addresses of two different Pennsylvanians, a list of "fish" (caught I presume, in May and June of some year long ago) and then this largest scrap written in an unknown language, perhaps a secret code. All of which--plus one more name written on the underside of the slide lid with the year 1875--add up to making this feel like a watercolor set that lived a life--and make me very much wish I had the (surely wonderful PA folk art) watercolors it gave life to!
Box measures 5 1/2" x 2 5/8". All contents pictured included. All in good shape, with some use to the watercolor blocks as pictured. Box itself in very good shape, with slide lid closing tight.
