Victorian European Tramp Art Box c1880
£325.00
In stock
Description
Fine example of a 19th century Tramp Art Box with pyramid shapes and ornate brass work. It retains its original black paint which has softened with age and reveals glimpses of wood beneath. Working lock and key and top lifts off to reveal original blue painted interior.
Made from old cigar boxes, Islas de Filipinas Manila is stamped both on the inside and on the bottom. This dates it to before the Philippine Revolution in 1896.
‘Tramp work’ was a term first used in a 1959 article by Frances Lichten in Pennsylvania Folklife to describe crafts constructed from waste materials such a cigar boxes and assembled with a pen knife. The chip carving consisted of notching and layering, with each succeeding layer being a little smaller than the preceding one, to create a pyramid design. European Tramp art is differentiated by its use of brass ornament.
W 25CM / 9.8″
H 17CM / 6.7″
D 23CM / 9″
