{"product_id":"early-19th-century-domed-prisoner-of-war-straw-work-box","title":"SOLD Early 19th Century Domed Prisoner of War Straw Work Box","description":"\u003cp\u003eIt is only recently that I began to pay attention to straw work, also called straw marquetry, but I've become deeply enamored with it.  Boxes of this sort are most often\u003cspan\u003e described as \u003c\/span\u003eNapoleonic prisoner of war work,\u003cspan\u003e made in England in prisoner of war camps and prison ships, late 18th--earlier 19th century, though they draw on centuries prior Far Eastern and European traditions, and continued to be made later. Not unlike tramp art a century later, they exemplify the transformation of the humblest of materials--straw and wood--into very elaborate, really quite magical and miraculous feeling objects; and their survival feels miraculous, too.  The very tight woven grid patterning across the domed lid of this one of course reminds me of later Froebel kindergarten paper weavings as well. And the straw shines like gold! \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNice scale at 7 1\/8\" x 3 13\/16\" x 3 1\/16\". Earlyish 19th century, good condition, very solid and sound and not fragile. Some staw loss as detailed, but its loss reads just as well as part of the patterning--looks sharp and crisp still. No closure hook at front. Domed lid closes flush and square just as it should.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"critical EYE Finds","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48561817420030,"sku":null,"price":165.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0015\/5022\/1382\/files\/IMG_9440_a12d6e46-fb5a-44cd-b656-74e5bd5c63c5.jpg?v=1783644660","url":"https:\/\/www.criticaleyefinds.com\/products\/early-19th-century-domed-prisoner-of-war-straw-work-box","provider":"critical EYE Finds","version":"1.0","type":"link"}