Featured small hinged black boxes

Recently picked these up ... they were all tossed in a plastic bag for a just dollar.

Because the one has what it was used for spelled out on its lid, it was easy to figure out what it was I gather from what I see online when searching small black lacquer box that the other three boxes were used for carrying snuff ... Is this correct?

Most are described as being papier-mâché and not wood ... as I first assumed. The most simple box has much of the black finish worn off, and the substance underneath looks like masonite (like you would find on an old clip-board) ... is this what old papier-mâché looked like? So, were these molded then and not carved?

Are there any guidelines to figure out how old they are?

Thanks for looking

bottom side

opened

showing what's under the black finish

 

the 2 oval look like snuff boxes......are you discounting horn as a material ??

 

Horn never crossed my mind. Thanks for something new to Google.
Which one looks like horn to you?
They are all, or were at one time, painted/lacquered black. Would horn need painting?

 

Do they look like metal? Cardboard?
Did you buy them at an estate sale or thrift store? I'm thinking they belonged to the same person.

My guess for time is early 1900s. Probably before WWI.
Maybe a little earlier.

The little shield, on the two shell shaped boxes, is interesting. Do you have a silver polishing cloth to see if it shines up a little?

 

Paper mache wouldn't surprise me. They needed something they could mold into shape and pulped paper with glue fit the bill.

 

Not metal ... very lightweight. I originally thought they were made out of thin pieces of wood until I tried to find out what they were used for ... and I kept seeing similar pieces described as papier-mâché ... which confused me because what I remember as 'paper-mache' was strips of paper soaked in paste and wrapped around a form or balloon to harden These boxes weren't that stuff.

Small thrift store. I think you're right. They're pretty good at getting things out quickly, so donations are usually put out more or less in the order that they arrive.

Thanks!

I wondered what those little bits of metal were for ... just decoration? ...
I'll try to shine them up in the morning.

Thanks again!

 

Thanks! I guess I better try to learn a little something about this old papier-mâché stuff. It's not what I remember playing with as a child (strips of newspaper soaked in glue)

 

Bovine horn is very moldable and has been used for centuries for snuff boxes,knife handles... http://snuffbox.com/snuff-book.pdf

 

Some nice examples shown at that site. Thanks Holly, for sharing that!

 

Don't use water if there is a chance they are paper mache. Use a polishing cloth.

 

if i had them in my hand....but horn seemed possible to me......now I'm not srte..

 

Nice buy! From what I can see, looks like papier-mache to me - you're thinking of a craft project, but these would have been molded from paper pulp mixed with hardeners and lacquered, the metal insets are likely pewter, would guess around mid 19th century...

~Cheryl

 

Here's an auction result for a lot of five including a box like one of yours: https://www.skinnerinc.com/auctions/2374/lots/1081

~Cheryl

 

Good warning! Nope ... I just tried a rouge cloth. Made no difference that I can see. Those bits don't seem to be tarnished but when viewed through a loupe, do have a a LOT of very fine surface scratches and teeny tiny pits ... probably full of decades of grime. Great ... I had no desire to wash them with water before ... but now I do ... and can't.

 

It was a valid suggestion of a possible material, and I appreciate your contribution to this thread. I am at an advantage because I can hold them in my hand and turn them in various directions to the light without seeing any of the luster or slight translucency in the worn areas that I would expect from horn.

 

Thank you, Cheryl! It seems that papier-mache really is similar to Masonite.

Yes! Look there it is (in better shape), right there in the center. So somber looking among the fancier ones.

 

I would date the stamp one to circa 1890. The "Old English" type font is not one really used much after that period. Corner decorations might be Art Nouveau, which would fit. The combination is unusual.

 

Interesting ... Thanks, Dave. It reminds me of the gold painted decoration I've seen on some antique safes.

 

Then agree with Cheryl about pewter.
Still find the shield interesting since it is on two boxes. Either the company mark, or a mark for an organizational group, fraternity or something similar.

 

I wonder if the shield might be for a monogram.