Civil War
Custom Handcrafted Civil War Patriotic Storage Box with Decorative Inlaid Stars, Flags & Two Union Shield Designs
c. 1860s Civil War Era, Handcrafted Presentation Union Patriotic Theme with Fine Inlaid Decorative Designs, Custom Finger Joint Cherry Wood Storage Box, with Black Walnut and Maple Inlays, Choice Extremely Fine.
This unique decorative Civil War Era Union Storage Box measures about 5.75" wide x 35.5" long x 2" deep. It has a long top lid that is brass hinged and when opened the lid displays an several decorative patriotic Civil War Union designs, including (6) inlaid designs including (2) Five-Pointed Stars, (2) American Flags and a large central Union Shield. There is a Second smaller Union Shield inlaid on front facing panel at center. This Handmade custom storage or specialized equipment box is hand constructed of Cherry wood using period woodworking tools. The inlays are made of Black Walnut and Maple overall finished in standard orange shellac used in that period. It is constructed with Dovetail Joints at the corners and has three separated internal compartments for storage, each measuring about 11.75" long x 4.75" deep. Appears possibly used for housing specialized instruments. This rare handsomely decorated Union inlaid wooden box has some wear from actual use some light scrapes and nicks from transport and small traces of what appears to be hardened black ink which is not intrusive to its overall impressive appearance. An impressive museum quality Union theme Presentation Box.
A dovetail joint is a woodworking joint made by cutting a set of complementary, interlocking profiles in two pieces of wood. Manual cutting of dovetail joints is time-consuming and hence rarely done, except in high quality craft pieces.