Description

A rare and beautifully decorated Spa Sewing Box, depicting skillfully hand-decorated scenes around the Belgian town of Spa in the Ardennes mountains. Each detailed scene is framed with two single green lines, with the top having a floral gold leaf pattern around its outside edge, and is hand-painted with the location of each scene. The front shows Geronstere; the right, Tonnelet; the back, Juslenville; the left, Marteau, and the top, La Sauveniere.

Opening the box reveals the lid that has pink ruched silk and a wooden frame with a central mirror plate. The base has two removable hinged boxes; again each one expertly decorated with the scenes La Cascade de Coo and Marteau Gate. In between these is a removable pincushion; in front of these is another removable tray fitted with two circular card boxes; under this is an array of sewing tools. The box is sectioned out for more tools & accessories including seven spool compartments. To the front is a drawer, which can only be accessed by removing a brass pin to the right of the box lock; pulling on the turned bone handle to the front reveals this fabulous drawer and its many original contents; it features two retractable winder reels made of sycamore and bone. A tray is fitted out with more pieces including two penwork sycamore winders depicting a cat and head with a bonnet; two thread spools located in ideal sized compartments, three lace butterflies, with two small painted trinket boxes. In the central compartment there is a bone nail file, a thick paper thread winder, and a small book titled “Plain prayers of children”.

Underneath this tray is further storage space containing various items. Including a leather coin purse, needle book and lace. Also inside is a newspaper cutting from 1923 reporting the wedding of Mr. Claude Lalonde and Miss Violet Newman, as well as a note detailing whom within the Newman/Lalonde family the box originally belonged to.

Complete with a working lock and tasselled key.

Additional information