Wooden box with lock origin?

[nonbreeder]

Hello,

This is in Connecticut.

Old wooden box with an exterior locking mechanism.

Looks really old but no markings.

I'm curious if anyone knows a country of origin based on its design.

Thanks again.

 

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[HuntinDog]

I'm no help on the where or when, but that's a cool box....

 

[unclemac]

i don't know about it...one good hit with a hammer would smash it to pieces so i just don' t think it is practical as a strong box.

 

[nonbreeder]

I agree - maybe it's from Pier 1 Imports hah

 

[dts52]

Maybe it's one of Captain Kidd's treasure chests that he buried on Charles Island!
HH
dts

 

[Robot]

Hello Nonbreeder...and welcome to the show!

Nice antique box!

My thoughts would be...16/17th Century German Wrought Iron Hobnail Lock Box?

Sometimes called a Storage Box or Document Box.

Prior to Bank Safety Deposit Boxes this is what the Early Pioneers used to protect their valuables.



https://www.historicallocks.com/en/...enteenth-century-money-chests-and-cash-boxes/

 

[Fullstock]

That thing looks really old, maybe 1600’s.

 

[RustyGold]

It reminds me of items from India early 20th century are the metal accoutrements brass?

 

[Anduril]

At just a quick glance, the hinges look machined to me.
So, maybe not that old?

It's probably the kind of thing you would need to see in-person to really get a feel as to age.
That said, it's a pretty cool looking box.

Now, you just need to go out and find all the gold & silver treasure that once filled it.

 

[nonbreeder]

It reminds me of items from India early 20th century are the metal accoutrements brass?

I honestly don't know if they are brass - I don't think so due to the rust on one of the pins holding on the top handle. But I'm just a guy who knows nothing haha.

 

[bradyboy]

awesome box and hardware.
brady

 

[bradyboy]

pins / nails would be expeted to be rusty
the hardware is the question, the hardware is not rusting so that means.........
id kill for that box
how did you come to haveit?
brady

 

[A2coins]

I agree thats freakin cool where did you get it

 

[nonbreeder]

Box was inherited. Family has been in North America since 1630 and some ancestors travelled as far as Egypt and Russia back in the day so I guess it could have come from anywhere...

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

I would have to see a pic of the bottom and the back before I can form a judgment on your box.
Having had a close look at the metal, I definitely think it's old.

You might want to consider taking it to an antique shop in Connecticut that specializes in antique chests for an assessment.
Dave

Mill House Antiques
Woodbury, CT.
Phone: 203-263-3446
https://www.millhouseantiquesandgardens.com/


Bob Kretchko Antiques
New Milford, CT.
Phone: 860-354-4759
https://www.bobkretchkoantiques.com/

 

[nonbreeder]

I would have to see a pic of the bottom and the back before I can form a judgment on your box.
Having had a close look at the metal, I definitely think it's old.

You might want to consider taking it to an antique shop in Connecticut that specializes in antique chests for an assessment.
Dave

Mill House Antiques
Woodbury, CT.
Phone: 203-263-3446
https://www.millhouseantiquesandgardens.com/


Bob Kretchko Antiques
New Milford, CT.
Phone: 860-354-4759
https://www.bobkretchkoantiques.com/

Thanks - here are the back and (*ahem*) bottom.

Methinks the felt pads were to prevent scratching the glass table it rested on for years.

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Thanks - here are the back and (*ahem*) bottom.

Methinks the felt pads were to prevent scratching the glass table it rested on for years.

Thanks very much for the follow up pics.

The bottom of the box is of single board construction and is attached with at least three different types of nails. There looks to be early rose head, mid-19thc square nails and even a few round head late 19thc 'modern nails'. What's interesting is the bottom shows very little wear at the edges or in the finish, if this was a 16th or 17thc box there should be no finish left on the bottom at all. Which leads me to believe, either the bottom of your box has been replaced or the entire box might be a 'fantasy piece'. These were often created for the tourist trade in Europe in the mid-19thc, replicating what had been made 300 years earlier.

"Early nails have two types of heads: a round head whose head is above the surface of the wood and used for general purpose fastening and a T-head whose head is driven below the surface and used for finish work. The forged round head nail is also called a rose head because the hammered head often resembles the petals on a rose. A variation of the T-head, the L-head, is the same as a T-head but with half the head cut off. Cross sections of pre-1800 nails are generally square; shanks from 1800-1890 are rectangular; modern shanks are round. The earliest forged nails are identified by their irregular shanks and hammer marks on both shanks and heads. When viewed from above, early round heads have a meandering outline that is anything but round. Later machine cut shanks will still show hammering which was necessary to form the head. Fully machine-made nails used since the 1890s have round shanks and round heads."

I'm just theorizing and I might be completely off base here, this is why you should consider taking it to an expert.

Dave

 

[nonbreeder]

Thanks for all that information. I wouldn't be surprised if it is not super old. If/when I get to an expert, I will follow up here.

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Thanks for all that information. I wouldn't be surprised if it is not super old. If/when I get to an expert, I will follow up here.

Thanks, I look forward to hearing what they have to say about it.
Dave

 

[bradyboy]

thinking the hardware alone would be worth a premium
bradyboy