A Late 19thC Folk Art Pine Cigar Box Painted with a Study of a Border Terrier

Object Description

The rectangular black painted cigar box having a pin fastened lid revealing a vacant interior, the front painted with a naïve study of a curled-up border terrier and surviving from late Victorian period England.

Object History

Unknown.

Object Literature

The Border Terrier is a small, rough-coated breed of dog in the terrier group. Bred as a fox and vermin hunter, and it is said that if the border terrier were human, the elbows of his tweed jacket would be patched with leather, and he would spend his evenings reading hunting diaries in a smelly armchair. This would have been lovingly painted by an amateur artist to remember their trusted pet.

A sweet and charming little box that could be used for anything from jewellery to keys, keepsakes or mementoes, or yes even cigars.

Object Condition

This box has obvious signs of use as there are old scratches and the paintwork has naturally distressed in the appropriate areas with some small losses to the pine. The lid works perfectly well via a small pin to the lower right corner.

Object Details