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Oval Fingered Hersey Box signed "CH"


Early 19th Century Oval Box with alternating laps often called "Harvard Shaker", a misnomer because the Shakers never made their boxes with alternating laps plus this one stamped "CH" for Cotton Hersey, one of more than five generations of Coppers who worked and lived in Hingham, Massachusetts and were instrumental in establishing Hingham's reputation and nickname of  "Bucket Town" for the quality and quantity of the woodenware produced there. Boxes, buckets, pails, firkins and later toys and other miniature objects made by various families and Guilds, such as the Tower Toy Guild contributed to  Hingham's reputation as "Bucket Town" but none more so than the Herseys.
This particular Oval Box, made by Cotton Hersey is "Classic" Hersey, made of Pine and Maple with its almost rectangular oval shape, fastened with copper tacks and wooden pegs (only four) on lid and bottom, and stamped "CH" for  Cotton Hersey (1792-1880).  It appears to have once had an opaque "Shaker-like" wash on it, which is mostly gone now, leaving a nutty brown oxidized and patinated dry surface with the exception being under the lid and on the very bottom rim in a couple of places. The top shows evidence of what appears to be knife marks which are pretty much filled in with the accumulation of surface grime over the years. (No, dirt is not "patina".) There is also about a 1-1/4" sliver missing from the rim on the back, mentioned for the sake of accuracy, but barely noticeable..  Structurally sound, it's a lovely box . . . warts and all. L 5-1/8" W 3-3/4" H 2-1/8"
$1450.00
R22J23574
 


 


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