Description:
An artist painted Papier mâchè sewing box having its original fully fitted tray with Dieppe turned and carved  spools and sewing tools.

Original lock and key.

Origin: United Kingdom

Circa: 1820

Materials: Papier mâchè 

Size: 23cm wide by 17.5cm, 8cm high including feet: 9.1 inches 6.9 inches 3.2 inches high

Condition:  very good.

Inside there  a fully fitted tray with Dieppe turned and carved  spools and sewing tools. There is fine gold leaf decoration on the facings.

 

The sides of the box are decorated with stylized swags of foliage in gold.

The Scene is finely painted with mastery of light and shade

The painting depicts a mountainous landscape. In the background the sea with sailing dinghies meets the cloudy sky. In the foreground are two fowlers one having just discharged his gun.  Their dog is still at their side. The bird would not be ease for the dog to retrieve.

This is Dieppe turning and carving. The material is ivory. The top screws onto the body Screws are a show off until later. Hand turned screws in wood or ivory are not easy to make. The materials are usually expensive to the craftsman. after turning this has been decorated. The external  turning of the lid piece is probably done with a pre or part preformed shape. With ivory and wood the grain patterns sometimes required a scraping cut.

 The spool tops are  turned  carved and milled the central flower even has the veins in relief. the line of beads is sometimes in 18th Century Russian ivory carving.

The ivory winding clamps are also Dieppe work

Papier mâchè substances were known in England as early as the 17^th century when they introduced from Persia and the east via France. It provided a smooth base for painting.

Original lock and key.

There are two thimbles in the box. one is a professional tool a gnarled iron ring. the other is a Dorkas Thimble, Daisy. Design D. , marked C H, for Charles Horner, the inventor. 

Charles Horner took out patents in both England (1884, ) and two years later in the US  (1889). The process to get a US patent took from 1886 to 1889.

It is not surprising that a Dorkas thimble is in this box. It was the best real thimble. It was designed for use and feel. 

Dorkas Thimbals  
 "A thimble composed of an outer casing and an inner lining, both of precious metal, in combination with a steel core interposed between said casing and lining, substantially as set forth, whereby a thimble having the appearance of the precious metal and the durability of steel is formed."