Workbox

Workbox

Public Domain

Workbox
CultureAmerican
Titles
  • Workbox
Datec. 1830–1840
Found inQuihi, Texas, United States
MediumUnidentified wood, metal, velvet, paint, and cotton wadding
Dimensions9 1/2 × 19 × 10 7/8 in. (24.1 × 48.3 × 27.7 cm)
Credit LineThe Bayou Bend Collection, gift of William J. Hill
Object numberB.2004.48
Non exposé

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Department
Bayou Bend
Object Type
DescriptionThis workbox, reportedly owned by a house museum in Quihi, Texas, is a wonderful example of functional American folk art. Probably the work of an amateur craftsman, the box is simply constructed using wide boards and rabbet joints that have been nailed together at the edges. The interior is fitted with a tray holding a velvet-covered pincushion, and the lid once supported two sets of metal runners that may have been used to hold spools of thread. The box is lined with newspapers indicating construction in the late 1830s, and the color palette and decoration relate to boxes made in Mahantongo Valley, Pennsylvania, an area settled by German immigrants.
ProvenanceWilliam J. Hill (1934–2018), Houston; given to MFAH, 2004.
Exhibition History"Made in Texas: Art, Life and Culture: 1845–1900," Beeville Art Museum, Texas, September 20, 2014–January 10, 2015.

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