I 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 a square on the front corresponding to a carve out on the interior that would have accommodated the lock--long gone, but creating just the right amount of visual interest in its absence.  Excellent proportions, tight wire hinges, and black paint/stain that has weathered and softened perfectly over time. 19th c. for sure, with square iron nails visible from the underside. To my eye quite an excellent thing.

10 3/4" w x 5 5/8" d x 3 9/16" t and in wonderfully aged antique condition. Loss to wood just about the keyhole, which I like, and a small old nail repair stopping a split just above the locl