Description: Antique Victorian Mauchline Ware needlecase book c.1880’s, turned from sycamore and with a transfer design on the front showing Gilnockie Tower, a 16th-century tower house and ancestral home to the Clan Armstrong, which is located at the hamlet of Hollows, in Dumfriesshire, south-west Scotland. These are known as ‘the Debatable Lands’, because in times past, no-one knew if they belonged to England, or to Scotland! The Tower was sacked and rebuilt many times and is shown here without its roof, which was restored in the late 1970’s. The case is in very good antique condition, with the original velvet hinge and deep purple silk interior. Length 5.5cms x width 4.2cms x depth 1.3cms. In the late 1700’s, skilled woodworkers in the Ayrshire town of Mauchline began making small wooden boxes for storing snuff, crafted from the cream-colored, tightly grained wood of local sycamore trees. These were decorated with hand-painted or inked designs and finished with multiple coats of amber-coloured varnish for shine and durability. Soon, time-saving paper transfers were introduced. By the 1820’s demand for snuff boxes had declined, so the box makers began making other small, useful wooden items, suitable as souvenirs for the increasing number of holiday travellers. By 1825, William and Andrew Smith had established the prestigious W & A Smith Box Works in Mauchline, making souvenir items of every size, shape and purpose and these were sent all around the world. Still useable today, this is bound to be of interest to collectors of Mauchline Ware or sewing items.
Price: 29.5 GBP
Location: PERTH
End Time: 2024-09-05T09:43:05.000Z
Shipping Cost: 15.32 GBP
Product Images
Item Specifics
Returns Accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Sub-Type: Mauchline
Antique: Yes
Style/ Period: Victorian
Original/Repro: Original
Product: Needle case
Product Sub-Type: Sewing
Material: Wood/ Woodenware
Age: 1850-1899
