Lot Essay
This intricately carved and embellished box is an outstanding example of handicraft in the tradition of decorative woodcarving. Representing either a yet undiscovered school of artful instruction or a unique burst of individual expression, this box is an imaginative, well-conceived and finely executed product of a talented craftsperson of early nineteenth-century New England.
Petite boxes of this size were often presented as gifts to loved ones. Once received, they served both the utilitarian purpose of housing small objects as well as providing color and decoration to one's household. The tradition of decorative boxes in this country stems to the English-inspired carved ornamental examples of the seventeenth century often worked in stylized compass patterns. The height of ornamentation occurred in the early nineteenth century when wooden boxes were embellished with spongework, graining, stencilling, and inlay.
The oral tradition passed down with this box connects it to the bustling seaport town of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Recently hailed as one of the most active ports along the Eastern seaboard, Portsmouth was home to successful merchants, reknowned statesmen, and landowners as well as to the craftsmen who catered to their requests for innovative, finely-worked products. The house represented on the front of the box is purported to be the Warner House, built for merchant Jonathan Warner, and is the oldest brick Georgian dwelling in the town. Although the illustrator may have intended to depict the Warner House, imagination took hold and an entirely different image was carved. The house represented on the front of the box is an idealized creation of stylized architecture with Georgian, Federal, and Greek Revival attributes. The designer may have combined images from print sources and from familiar buildings, or my have transcribed the pattern from memory after removing from town.
The entire surface of the box, except for the back, is playfully ornamented with carved and inlaid birds, hearts, filigree, geometric panels and fantastic vegetation and floral motifs. The execution of the carving and inlay are lucid and detail-oriented. Each pane of glass in the windows of the house is individually placed with minute squares of shellac-like material. Details such as fanlights around the doorway and individual leaves on the trees are treated with equal dexterity and attention. The overall design and lack of proportion in the relation of elements is self-evident and lends to the charm of this delicate and creative example of artistic expression.
The elements selected to decorate the box and the manner of design and execution relate in many ways to the formulas used in the schoolgirl tradition of needlepoint samplers. Although the individual motifs fall into certain regional categories, the combination of illustrative images do not specifically relate to any known schools. Rather than the product of a young lady, the box was probably made as a gift by a suitor. Familiar with the craft traditions around him, this adroit craftsman was working in a more difficult medium where his skill as a carver and artist were necessary---skills not traditionally taught to young ladies.
Petite boxes of this size were often presented as gifts to loved ones. Once received, they served both the utilitarian purpose of housing small objects as well as providing color and decoration to one's household. The tradition of decorative boxes in this country stems to the English-inspired carved ornamental examples of the seventeenth century often worked in stylized compass patterns. The height of ornamentation occurred in the early nineteenth century when wooden boxes were embellished with spongework, graining, stencilling, and inlay.
The oral tradition passed down with this box connects it to the bustling seaport town of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Recently hailed as one of the most active ports along the Eastern seaboard, Portsmouth was home to successful merchants, reknowned statesmen, and landowners as well as to the craftsmen who catered to their requests for innovative, finely-worked products. The house represented on the front of the box is purported to be the Warner House, built for merchant Jonathan Warner, and is the oldest brick Georgian dwelling in the town. Although the illustrator may have intended to depict the Warner House, imagination took hold and an entirely different image was carved. The house represented on the front of the box is an idealized creation of stylized architecture with Georgian, Federal, and Greek Revival attributes. The designer may have combined images from print sources and from familiar buildings, or my have transcribed the pattern from memory after removing from town.
The entire surface of the box, except for the back, is playfully ornamented with carved and inlaid birds, hearts, filigree, geometric panels and fantastic vegetation and floral motifs. The execution of the carving and inlay are lucid and detail-oriented. Each pane of glass in the windows of the house is individually placed with minute squares of shellac-like material. Details such as fanlights around the doorway and individual leaves on the trees are treated with equal dexterity and attention. The overall design and lack of proportion in the relation of elements is self-evident and lends to the charm of this delicate and creative example of artistic expression.
The elements selected to decorate the box and the manner of design and execution relate in many ways to the formulas used in the schoolgirl tradition of needlepoint samplers. Although the individual motifs fall into certain regional categories, the combination of illustrative images do not specifically relate to any known schools. Rather than the product of a young lady, the box was probably made as a gift by a suitor. Familiar with the craft traditions around him, this adroit craftsman was working in a more difficult medium where his skill as a carver and artist were necessary---skills not traditionally taught to young ladies.