Antique Jewelry box?

That's what I'm guessing it was. Perhaps made for a family member by a parent or sister or cousin? Clearly has hand carvings, all the lines of every object are carved into the wood. Seems to be depicting a family meeting a woman, perhaps an aunt or grand mother, somewhere near log cabins, with the child being kind of curious, like the carving is a photograph and the child is looking at the photographer.

The bottom right corner says "1907 JL". So obviously it's over 110 years old. I've had this sitting in a closet for 20 years, don't know anything about it as I got it from another family member. Probably not worth anything, but wondering if anyone knows the history behind these types of things.

http://imgur.com/7zi2jr9
http://imgur.com/eGUhVWJ
http://imgur.com/PVnF3xy
http://imgur.com/oAbmuki

 

Hello plastik, welcome.
Could you please post the pictures full image in the thread? Most of us don't click on links. Here is how:
https://www.antiquers.com/threads/posting-a-thread-and-uploading-pictures.15990/

 

Welcome! Please do as AJ requests and always do that.

 

I tried to, it was the first thing I tried, but it said the files were too large

 

You have to reduce your images to 800-1200 on the largest side. There are a couple of folks here who are really good at explaining how because they helped me.

 

I don't usually open links, but I was curious. This is one of the image s.

 

I lowered the quality

 

Looks vaguely Russian to me.

 

1907 JL = Jack London? I'm rich!!!! J/k ;P

 

480x640 always works and for ALL of up to 10 photos per post.

 

Wood burned lines and stained...

 

Yes, northern Russia, Poland, Baltic states, that part of the world.

 

Well since I'm Polish American, I'd assume Polish or Russian is a good answer. Although my last name doesn't begin with an L, but I did grow up in a polish populated area, so this could have been easily bought at an antique shop in the 80's or 90's or earlier by family in the general area I was born. Of course, it could be just passed down from a family member with a different last name. My family fled Poland to America during WWII. This box was on our family bookshelf ever since I was a little kid, but I don't know much about where it came from before then.

 

I'd be guessing Russian, personally. The shoes are right, and those houses look like Russian cottages. OTOH, who knows.

 

Yes, the shoes are the most important sign I think. But they were also worn in the Baltic States and parts of Poland. Those modest wood cottages could be anywhere in northeastern Europe, so Russia as well.
The Polish made a lot of wooden boxes, mostly decorated like this one, sometimes with pokerwork, sometimes with metal inlay.

 

The L could be you family name L.
Maybe it was one of the few things they took with them. It could have contained family photographs, jewellery, mementoes.

 

I had to read that twice...............my dim excuse for a mind read the last word as Mentos.....................and knowing that they are a Dutch innovation, it didn't seem out of place at first...............

 

As stated above by @Melissa Brown, it DOES look like Pyrography, and then stained the colors they wanted.......BUT to digress, here's a little tutorial to get your images posted here if you need any help..... others can help as well!!

 

PyrograPaint by Numbers!

 

They could have had Mentos in there as well, they don't take up much space and are very refreshing