An important and rare Laurencekirk Scottish tea chest by C. Stiven having wooden hinges to both the chest and the lift out canisters Circa 1810.

Description:
An important and rare signed Scottish, tea chest decorated with penwork made at Laurencekirk by C. Stiven having wooden Scottish hinges to both the chest and the lift out canisters.

Origin: Scotland

Circa: 1810

Materials:

Size: It measures 12inches wide by 6 inches deep and it is 5.5 inches high: 30.5 cm wide by 15.3 cm deep by cm 14 cm high.
Condition: Very good/ remarkable.

The caddy is marked overall with a penwork diamond pattern, characteristic of early Scottish work: a feat of precision which breaks the lightness of the wood. The centre is decorated with the figure of a man falling from his horse with a dog in attendance or pursuit. He looks like a picture from Scottish legend. Is he supposed to be from the pages of Walter Scott, or does the bridge looking structure behind him suggest that he is Robert Burns Tam-O-Shanta?

This type of hinge is found on some tea caddies and boxes but it was more usually employed in snuff boxes. It is one thing getting a a two inch hinge to work and look perfect. It is another to have an 11 inch.
See smallbox 144/

The woodwork is incredible There are wooden hinges on both the lift-out canisters and the main chest. All the wood is quarter-sawn for stability.

The caddy is marked overall with a penwork diamond pattern, characteristic of early Scottish work: a feat of precision which breaks the lightness of the wood.

This is from a different series of boxes to the painted Cumnock boxes.

It results from James's Sandy's grasp of both the disciplines of woodwork and clock making, which enabled him to develop a process for cutting the hinges with impeccable precision.

James lived in Alyth, Perthshire in the East side of Scotland. News of his new hinge must have traveled quite fast to Kincardineshire, especially to Laurencekirk, which was only twenty miles North East of Alyth and where another highly skilled craftsman, Charles Stiven, lived and worked.

It is just possible that Stiven had found his own way of perfecting the concealed hinge. He certainly never claimed to have done so. However, by the time of Sandy's death, Stiven had adopted the use of this particular hinge to such an extent, that any box fitted with it was described as a Laurencekirk box.

There are lots of photos they can be seen in higher resolution by clicking on them. They can be viewed as a slide show in higher resolution.

The Scottish Box with integral wooden hinge owes its distinction to a remarkable man, James Sandy and its existence to another remarkable man, Lord Gardenstone, here pictured by John Kay.

The Scottish Box owes distinction to a remarkable man, James Sandy and its existence to another remarkable man, Lord Gardenstone. Its commercial viability was nurtured by a gifted craftsman, Charles Stiven whose work this is.
James Sandy died in 1819, at the age of 53, an acknowledged genius and a convivial man. This last quality must have been difficult to maintain as, throughout his life, James Sandy had to fight against tremendous odds.

Due to an accident and the inappropriate administrations of a quack doctor, James lost the use of one of his legs, when he was a child of twelve.

This infirmity did not deter him from busying himself making violins and other musical instruments, in spite the fact that the only tools he had were very rudimentary.

He triumphed over his primitive work conditions and achieved a degree of success early on in his life.

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The wooden hinge is a masterpiece of woodwork. To achieve it is one thing, but to have it survive without cracking for nearly 200 years is a masterpiece of wood art. Such a box deserves serious study.

The colourful group of fruit painted on the inside of the lid contrasts with the more austere exterior. They also suggest a departure from ancient legend to the early 19^th century interest in crops both native and exotic.

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This caddy is stamped C. Stiven, Laurencekirk.

C. Stiven,

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Laurencekirk.

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The centre is decorated with the figure of a man falling from his horse with a dog in attendance or pursuit. He looks like a picture from Scottish legend. Is he supposed to be from the pages of Walter Scott, or does the bridge looking structure behind him suggest that he is Robert Burns Tam-O-Shanta?

Inside, written with ink, is a will and testament: "To be given to

Christien Walters (? ), with my best love kabinka (?) Cambbell 1905"

EK has kindly sent me some observations:

"I think it starts "To be given to Christian Walker" (not Walters)
It's very common that the lighter stroke of the round top of a capital R fades so it looks like K. (Very like the K in Walker.)

The name "Christian" was very common for girls at this time in Scotland, and though its "Sunday" pronunciation was Christine, family would often just pronounce it "Kirsten / Kirstchin".

It's hard to make out from the picture whether the bit after Robin is
either: a middle initial O or D (as in Robin O Campbell)
or else: a small "a" written across the down-and-up flourish of the tail of the Y in the word "my"above it.
My hunch is it's the second - in other words, Robina Campbell.

So the inscription is, I'm 95% sure,
"To be given to Christian Walker, with my best love Robina Campbell 1905"

'"To be given to" rather suggests she may have been anticipating her own demise. '
The last part of the name of the 1905 recipient of the box.
"Christien Walters (?)"reads, I think, as Christian Walker Russell"

(You can seen that the R in Russell and the R in "kabinka"/Robina have faded at the top of the loop in the same way.)

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The immaculate dovetail joins are immaculate and displayed.

This is dovetailing brought to art.

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Even the Canisters have integral wooden hinges.

The understanding of wood and the ability of art craft to build this are awe inspiring.

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A

The chest has a cut glass bowl.

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