For sale is a beautiful and genuine mid-Victorian folk art document / keepsake box, dating circa 1850–1880. The box is crafted from dense hardwood (oak or walnut) stained a rich near-black color with hand-carved wavy “thumb-molded” edges that give it a distinctive Baroque-revival silhouette. The real charm lies in the five leather panels (lid and four sides) that are hand-tooled and engraved with charming continuous pastoral scenes: women harvesting wheat with sickles, figures working beside barns and towers, children, animals, and rural architecture – all executed in the classic 19th-century black-line engraving style popular across England, France, and the Low Countries. Each panel is bordered and secured with rows of original domed brass tacks that have acquired a warm, even patina.

It opens on original solid brass stop-hinges (the type that hold the lid at about 95°), fastened with early machine-made gimlet-point screws typical of the 1850s–1870s. The interior is a single hand-carved oval compartment, perfect for letters, jewelry, sewing items, or small treasures.

Condition is truly excellent for a 150+ year-old piece – far better than most we see. No missing tacks, no splits in the leather, hinges tight and functional, and the wood retains its original surface with only honest light wear. This is the kind of box that displays as if it just came out of a country manor attic.

• Wood shows only minor expected edge dings and tiny shrinkage cracks (one hairline near hinge).
• Leather panels remain fully intact with crisp engraving detail, light even age-toning, and no tears or flaking.
• All original brass tacks present and tight; brass stop-hinges work perfectly and retain early machine screws from the 1850–1870 period (tapered gimlet points, slightly off-center slots – correct for the era).
• Interior oval compartment is clean, with natural darkened patina and very faint tool marks from hand carving.
• No repairs, no replacement parts, no odors, or insect damage. Unrestored and ready to display.

A superb decorative piece for collectors of Victorian folk art, writing slope accessories, or anyone who loves authentic 19th-century craftsmanship.

Item dimensions: 3" tall × 7.5" wide × 3.75" deep  

Weight of item: 1 lb 2 oz