Hand-Painted Wooden Coat of Arms Casket – Vintage Lidded Box, Austria c. 1930s–1960s

A black lacquered wooden box with a painted coat of arms – small enough for a desk, old enough to have developed its own patina. Over the decades, the lacquer has cracked into a fine network, like that seen on old oil paintings. It is no longer possible to determine who painted the shield or for whom.

The Coat of Arms

The shield is shaped as a tartsche, with the typical indentations at the upper corners. Quarterly in red and gold: in two fields, a rampant golden lion, and in the other two, a green laurel wreath. The drawing is done by hand; the brushstrokes in the manes are individually discernible upon close inspection. The coat of arms could not be assigned to a specific family or city – presumably a decorative work in the spirit of Historicism, as was common for souvenir and craft items in the 20th century.

Execution

• Solid wood, body and lid made of light hardwood
• Opaque black lacquer on the outside, raw interior and bottom
• Lid attached with two small brass hinges, runs smoothly
• Faint stamp impression and remnants of an old label on the bottom

Dimensions and Dating

• Length: 16 cm
• Width: 9.5 cm
• Height: 5 cm
• Period of creation: estimated 1930s to 1960s
• Place of discovery: Lower Austria

Signs of Age

A fine hairline crack runs across the lid through the wood. It is barely noticeable from the outside but more clearly visible from the inside – the lid and box remain completely stable and fully usable. Additionally: craquelure over the entire lacquered surface, a chipped spot to the left of the shield, isolated scratches and abrasions on the edges. The interior is clean, empty, and odor-free. Price is for 1 piece.

Where to Put It

On the desk for stamps, paperclips, and rings. In the bookshelf, where black and gold look good between old book spines. On the chest of drawers in the hallway, for keys. Or as a container for those things you keep without being able to say exactly why.

Shipping

Shipping from Austria. Padded and shock-proof packaging.

Found in St. Pölten, on a Saturday in summer. At the stand was a younger man dissolving his father's collection of boxes – tobacco tins, small boxes, cases, all next to each other on a table. This one was on the far end and bore a coat of arms, although it never protected more than small trifles. Perhaps that is precisely the nobility of an object: that someone considered it important enough to adorn it.

A coat of arms for small things — things with a soul · VintageAustriaShop