Browse through the sites selling handmade goods, and you’ll find a tremendous number of wooden boxes. It looks like recent trends are for boxes made of contrasting woods, or combinations of various exotic woods. Decoration is mostly in the color contrasts, and sometimes with the addition of things like splines on joints, and occasionally some inlay. There are many well made and beautiful examples to be found. (Hint: Etsy > Keepsake Box)
The decorations rarely seen on these boxes are carvings. Here and there some might be found, but not many. Which is why … I’m using hand made wooden boxes as a platform for classic woodcarvings. You might have seen this coming in recent months.
Here are two new boxes. Both are made of Cherry. This Cherry is S2S material 15/16″ thick, which I resaw by hand. The sides and end walls are 3/8″ thick, the result of resawing the stock in even halves. The top and bottom material is finished at 1/2″ thick for the top and 1/8″ thick for the bottom, the result of resawing off center. This gives one the opportunity of using “book matched” pieces to display the grain wrapping around the box, and to have a top with a grain pattern that matches the bottom. Note, I said “opportunity”, and that depends on keeping careful track of such things.
First is a small box featuring a classic flower rosette on the lid, the lid shown as work in progress in the previous post. This style of flower is very common in architectural and furniture decoration and dates back many centuries. The box’s construction is a single-tail dovetail at each corner. The bottom is trapped in stopped grooves. The lid is a snap fit, nestled between the long sides, standing proud about 1/8 inch.
click any image to enlarge
The second box is another centuries old design, a Tudor rose. This particular variant has 4 petals instead of the usual 5, as a better fit for an oval. As with the first box. the design is incised. The box is larger, having more tails in each join. It too has a trapped bottom piece. This box measures 5 1/2 inches wide by 9 1/4 inches long by 3 3/4 inches high. Interior dimensions are 4 5/8 inches by 8 1/8 inches (long enough for new pencils) by 3 1/4 inches. The lift-of lid covers all 4 walls of the box and overhangs slightly on the ends for easy removal.
Both are currently available in my Etsy store.
Nice work! I like the designs, and the attention to detail.
Is the four leaf tudor rose a custom design, or based on a period example?
badger
Nice carvings Bob – I like the oval one more then the circular one and I like the lid detail on the first box. I’m going to try that one on my next box sans the carving.
I’m comfortable in thinking that design is “based on a period example.” although I can’t give you precise provenance. Frederick Wilbur shows it in two of his books,”Carving Architectural Detail in Wood – The Classical Tradition” and “Carving Classical Styles in Wood.” In the first book Wilbur says,
He often cites sources from some of the elements he illustrates, such as Greek temples, Roman ruins, and more recent (often European) architecture. This particular design is in the opening of the chapter on Rosettes (p.86), but does not have a source cited.
Thanks Ralph,
Although I didn’t show the bottom of that lid, I’m sure you know that it simply has a rabbet around all four sides. The rabbets on the long side are made generous to allow extra space for movement. The ones on the ends are less so. With today’s humidity, it’s a “piston fit.” In August, it might be a “snap fit.”
Thanks for the links to the books, I’ve been expanding my library of “inspiration” for carvings. Those look like fun. I’m always on the look out for books, especially ones with 16-17th century carved patterns for me to adapt.
Very nice carvings. Though both are lovely, I like the oval one better, too. Quality work will sell!
Thanks Heidi.