Featured An unusual box

This box is about 20 inches long. It is wood with inlay and the lid has brass fancy work let into a slightly lower area. The odd thing is that although the lid hinges up it also has a sliding tambour front, slightly open in one picture.








Probably about 1900. Any ideas what it might be for?

 

"Any ideas what it might be for?"

No idea but I love it!!! How very practical that tambour front is.

In terms of practicality, if the box were placed quite high on a tall chest or shelf to keep "little hands" from getting inside the box, the tambour opening on the front would allow even a short(er) adult to stand on tiptoe, extend an arm/hand, and retrieve an item from within without having to get a step stool or ladder to reach the box.

 

No hole in the back of it (?) or I would say radio housing...oh...I did.

 

Maybe a music box cabinet? Front tambour to access the control and maybe had glass to view inside. Top opens to access the works.

 

I like this idea. Perhaps it even had some works that moved and did something interesting at the front.
The indent in the back is intriguing.
I didn't see any screw holes to mount something in it though there are those 2 protrusions, clips, mounts in the back.....

 

Love both the wood and the brass, but no idea what it was used for.

 

Could it be a humidor?

 

THe tambour front has to have somewhere to slide into, that is why the right side is thicker, looked at from above, and this extra thickness extends partway round the back, to make room for the whole of the front. That is why there is a thickness change in the back. I think the white mark is a scrap of old paper stuck on. There are no internal signs of anything being fixed inside the box.

 

and no wire holes

 

No wire holes.

 

If it didn't have such a decorative top, I'd think the tambour door might be so something could sit on top of the box. But that doesn't make sense to me since the top isn't plain.

 

Noticed my double picture, meant to post this one, not that it helps much

 

Is that walnut? The color is beautiful.

 

Liquor tantalus, only missing the portable bottle tray-with-carrying-handle. Tray may have had a row of holders for glasses in the front row so the tantalus could be used easily with tray still inside, and if the pastor stopped in unexpectedly the tambour could be slid shut quickly. Makes a good story anyway.

"Is that walnut?"

Looks like English walnut with satinwood inlay.

 

They would be very short bottles, and there is no way of locking the lid, which is an essential part of a tantalus. I think the wood might be fine mahogany, but walnut is a possibility.

 

Seems like tantaluses that look like tantaluses have locks but those that don't, don't. Tantaluses tend to have short decanters rather than bottles. Tantalus may remain a tantalizing possibility.

 

Could be a one-off in which case you can say it is any number of things and never be proven wrong.

 

I think I will have to rely on the attractive wood and metal work to sell it and let the buyer decide what they want to do with it.

 

Looks like a small thin piece of metal just under the left hinge-does that have any obvious function-it doesn't seem to be related to the structural integrity.

 

I will have a look, but this item is at home in the shed, so it will not be till Wednesday or Thursday