Very Lovely Early Tole Painted Box with Carrying Loop antique diamond pips wood is 13/16” thick

wood is 13/16” thick

looks very much like a wrestler or strong man to me

sometimes with a horse race game inside

I'd use this for coffee as well as tea

though perhaps the squares are another shade deeper—and a salmony pink for the alternating squares

Very Lovely Early Tole Painted Box with Carrying Loop antique diamond pips wood is 13/16” thickIt's no great surprise that the more one looks at things and compares them, the more attuned one is to the differences among them and what makes one example feel more special than another. It's not until fairly recently that I really started appreciating antique toleware, and really paying attention to the decorative painting on pieces like this, which can be quite stunning in both bold and subtle ways. I find this a very beautiful example, New