Game box
New York, New York
1850-1875
Maker
George W. Williams (dates unknown)
Measurements
4-1/4 in x 15-1/4 in x 8-5/8 in
Materials
Rosewood (veneer), mahogany (interior fittings), silk, brass
Credit Line
Historic Odessa Foundation, gift of H. Rodney Sharp
Accession Number
1959.3579
Inscription
“GEORGE W. WILLIAMS, / Box Maker, / 98 Elm St. cor. Of Walker. / New York / Que Keepers Card and Back Gammon Boxes. / Roulettes made & Repaired / all kinds of work made & repaired” and “MAHOGANY / BOX MAKER / Cribbage boards / Check holders”. is printed on the maker's label.
The lock is marked "VR" (Victoria Regina) and "PATENT".
Condition Notes
Three of thirteen inlaid brass stars are missing from the top. Fittings from inside the box are missing. The silk upholstery inside the lid has torn where it probably rubbed against box contents now missing.
Provenance
Ex coll. H. Rodney Sharp
Comments
The eloquently constructed box was made for a game of some kind. The rosewood-veneered exterior has a brass-inlaid eagle and 13 stars on the lid, a shaped brass key escutcheon, and brass strips lining the top and bottom edges. The inside is fitted with two removable mahogany trays flanking an open center section. The underside of the lid is richly upholstered in silk, red cut velvet, and red, white, and blue cording. Too many interior fittings are lost to determine the exact purpose of this box.
Ornately printed labels of the maker are pasted into recesses cut into the outside bottoms of the two trays. The labels mention backgammon, roulette, cribbage, and card games.
