Box

1900-20 (ca.)

7 x 7 x 5 1/2 inches

Wood (likely basswood) with silk lining and brass hardware.

AC2017.18.5

Pyrography, the burning of designs into wood, was a popular art in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries practiced by both professionals and amateurs alike. The Arts and Crafts movement, which encouraged practitioners to embrace the handicrafts, was particularly important in promoting this art form as design manuals, magazines, and even text books published designs suitable for the medium. Many firms offered relatively inexpensive kits to get started with, and boxes–either plain or with a stamped design to make the process easier–could be easily procured as well.