box, needlework
Object
Accession Number
2008.005.024a-eDescription
a. Rectangular sandalwood needlework box with a pagoda type lid, hinged with two brass hinges and fitted with a brass lock. The body and lower portion of the lid are faced with porcupine quills. The ivory borders are incised and inlaid with a black lacquer resin in a fern pattern. The lid has a knob made of horn with an ivory button, and radiating from the knob are alternating rays of horn and ivory. A portion of the knob has been repaired with wood. Below the box are four bun feet made of horn. The inside of the box is lined with wood. The lid has an ivory border matching the design on the exterior that frames an ivory medallion. A tray (b) with ten compartments and two built in pincushions fit into the frame. Each pin cushion is covered in red or green satin. The three largest compartments have wooden lids with an ivory border that matches the exterior of the box and a lacquer panel in the centre below an ivory knob.Narrative
Victorian needlework boxes were typically large enough to hold a small stitching project and a large variety of tools. Needlework was often done as a part of social gatherings and a woman might bring a work box along to visit a friend or work in her parlour while receiving guests. This demanded a practical way to transport one’s work while also providing an excellent opportunity to show off fine or novel tools and work boxes. While simple repurposed storage boxes and baskets were used as practical containers, highly detailed and ornate cases with specialized compartments for matching sets of tools were most popular amongst the upper and middle classes. Made of fine materials such as ivory, mother-of-pearl, tortoise shell, and silver, they served as a symbol of status and wealth.
The interior of a work box was considered a private space. They might be used to store private letters, photographs, jewellery, or money and were sometimes designed with special compartments for this purpose.
