Description

Fabulously shaped Spa box by Louis and Emile Misson. Mainly made from birch with a sycamore panel to the top. With fine detailed painted scenes of Belgian Spa towns including La Sauvenière, La Geronstere, & Tonnelet. The interior is painted green with a large fully fitted removable tray that stands on turned legs. The tray has three lids, two painted with more spa scenes, a central pin cushion with flowers next to a pair of scissors, and two turned wooden painted cotton barrels, six wooden thread reels, a removable crescent shaped pin cushion, painted needle case and an assortment of sewing accessories and tools.

Inside the box is the original makers’ label which reads: ‘Fabrique d’ouvrages vernis de Louis et Emile Misson, Peintres, a l’hotel de Lorraine, en face du Pouhon, No. 168, a Spa’ which translates to ‘Made from varnished works of Louis and Emile Misson, painters, at Lorraine Hotel, opposite The Pouhon, No. 168, Spa’. Their works were exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851, their catalogue entry reading ‘Table, work-boxes, writing-cases, cigar and needle-cases, knitting and glove-boxes, and various other articles, all beautifully painted with flowers and designs.’

Birch grows in parts of Northern Europe, Asia and North America. It is an almost white wood that with age will appear more yellow, with a very subtle grain giving a clean look to the wood.

Sycamore, also known as Harewood is a member of the Maple family, found in Europe. It is light yellow in colour and is often a very clean wood, with a straight, fine grain.
The wood is often pippy. However, these pips are usually a very similar colour to the rest of the wood making them hardly visible.