Unknown American
Workbox

Public Domain

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Images(3)

Maker Unknown American

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

Not on view

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Department

Bayou Bend

Object Type

FURNITURE

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.

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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