I have a number of collections. In fact, when friends visit, I sometimes feel like a docent in my own house. I've never consciously collected wooden boxes, but as I look around my house, I realize that I've certainly accumulated a lot of them.
There's a mellowness to antique wooden boxes, especially when one sees all those different honeyed tones side by side.
I bought one of my favorite boxes on impulse at an antique show. I suppose it was meant to hold some article of clothing, perhaps handkerchiefs or gloves. Wouldn't you say that it's a lovely work of inlaying?
But upon closer inspection . . .
. . . it turns out that this isn't inlaid at all, but a box of one wood, carefully painted with different varnishes! I'd love to know if there's a name for this artistry. Have you seen this type of varnish painting before, and do you know what it's called?
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Dear Mark - I am very attracted to little boxes myself, so I understand your interest in collecting them.
ReplyDeleteI only know that lacquer work as faux inlay, but I am sure that there is a technical term for it.
What I do know is that your Dragon with his rather quirky face, is a Chinese Dragon as he appears to have five toes. Japanese ones have three toes, and Korean ones have four.
Dear Rosemary - Thanks for that information; I did not know that about the dragon toes. Now I'll have some counting to do around my house!
DeleteHello Mark:
ReplyDeleteHow intriguing that it is not inlaid as it certainly appeared so at first look. Still, no matter, for it is absolutely enchanting and so intricately done. The colours are wonderfully mellow and tone perfectly with each other. It is a lovely work of art.
And, what fun to be a docent in your own home!!! We had never heard of the word 'docent' until we met an American who was organising a docent group at the Contemporary Art Museum in Budapest. It is a term not used in England.
Thanks to Rosemary, we too shall now be counting dragon toes!!
Hello, Jane and Lance:
DeleteYour mention of not being familiar with "docent" induced me to go to the dictionary. While I've always known docent to mean one who teaches and guides at a museum, I've learned this morning that its primary definition is one who teaches at a university or college, but who is not a regular faculty member.
Hello Mark, I love your box collection--they really look great together. I too am a big fan of old wood--I like the texture as well as the grain and colors.
DeleteIs there any inlay at all on that box? I don't know if that technique has a special name, but I have also seen the same kind of ink and colored varnish finish on a number of leather objects. Whatever it is called, yours is a masterpiece of the genre--not only is it very well executed, but the design also suits the box really well. Any clues on the bottom?
--Road to Parnassus
Hello, Parnassus - There are more boxes on that shelf, and more in other places around the house. I've never set out to collect wooden boxes, but they keep finding their way in!
DeleteThere is no inlay whatsoever on the dragon box and no clues inside or on the bottom, but it could hold a mystery, certainly an interesting tale. I'd love to know its origin.
Very nice....azpeitia
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteDear Mark, Have always been drawn to boxes. Boxes with lids of any kind. And your collection are fine works of art. Possibly, our fascination with boxes has something to do with the possible treasures within.
ReplyDeleteDear Gina, I think you're right. Also, I think boxes appeal to a sense of neatness and organization. My boxes tend to be antiques and many of them have old labeling and stenciling.
DeleteI'm glad I'm not the only collector.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if this method has a name, but I do remember seeing it done to floors in the 1980s when faux finishes were having a revival. I experimented with the technique on scraps of wood, and found it worked best if the edges of areas were slightly scored, but I was using soft pine, just for fun.
Interesting about the dragon toes. What I recall is that the Chinese Imperial dragon had one extra toe per foot, just as yellow was the Imperial colour.
Hi, Terry - I'm guessing that this technique would work well with a particular consistency of stain or varnish, perhaps one that was thicker. The scoring that you discovered makes a lot of sense, too. The detail work and outlines appear to me to be an inking.
DeleteI too am a fan of wooden boxes (well, actually, any beautiful box) and I love the example you're showing in this post, Mark. It does look like inlay. Can you imagine the love of craft and talent it took to make this?
ReplyDeleteWell, you know what they say, three of anything is already a collection.
Hi, Yvette - My mother gave me a number of these boxes, and she always reminded me that the proper etiquette is not to give an empty box as a gift. (She'd usually put a brand new penny in the box — isn't that delightful?)
DeleteAbsolutely, Mark. I love that idea!
ReplyDeletewhat a fabulous gem! I too collect boxes to keep my pencils and billets-doux and odd bits. I also love decorating them. This type of faux bois finish is not all that uncommon in 19th century pieces and enjoyed a revival in the 1950s among well to do ladies thanks to people like Isabel O'Neill whose school in New york is still active. These days you can find amazing examples of trompe l'oeil intarsia and marquetry from some of the more accomplished decorative artists out there- some that come to mind: Pierre Finkelstein, Lucretia Moroni, and I recently saw a fabulous example by Nicola Vigini.
ReplyDeleteHi, Lynne - Thanks so much for that additional information! I'm quite sure that this is an older box, but I'll be looking up the more recent practitioners that you have mentioned.
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