19th C. Handmade Black Painted Pine Box with Wire Hinges charades cards with a terrific patina too

with a terrific patina too

meaning handsome boy

the dry surface is wonderfully warm with age

such that one could wear it as a charm--or amulet

19th C. Handmade Black Painted Pine Box with Wire Hinges charades cards with a terrific patina tooI don't always have the easiest time selling old boxes, especially relatively plain ones whose charms are subtle, but every time I visited the little shop in Maine where I found this one I was be struck by it, so, finally, after three or four viewings I had to bring it home! It's actually just the sort of box that I love most, honest and useful, with its beauty deriving from its construction, function and use over time. I love the shallow carve out of