Mid 19th Century American Sewing Box in Best Paper with Stencil Painted Velvet Pin Cushion medical engraving painted on a round of

painted on a round of leather just like one of these--making me think

surely once part of a larger whirligig but I think pretty great just as he is

and just to right sort in which to keep

Something about old photos of young boxers I just can't resist--so full of aspiration

and brown at one lower corner

Mid 19th Century American Sewing Box in Best Paper with Stencil Painted Velvet Pin Cushion medical engraving painted on a round ofI've had a few mid 19th century papered boxes of this sort, but the patterns and bright rainbow of colors on the paper here make this one exceptional. (The bright pink and yellow combo on the interior are very excellent too.) This one was specifically made as a small sewing box, with stencil painted velvet pin cushion on the lid. Hand colored and hand printed paper over cardboard, with ribbons connecting hinged lid to body of box so that it holds open