From Norway and an old New England collection.

Unique find.

Norweigian Hand crafted and incised wooden tine bentwood box, 1890

An all original work of art signed on side with date 1890

The craftsmanship and details are superb.

Dimensions: 9.5 inches high and 13.5 inches wide and 8 inches deep

Hand crafted and hand burned using pyrographic techniques

Provenance: New England collection.

History of Norway’s Tine Bentwood Box:

Bent wood boxes have a long and colorful history. Many different cultures have made their own unique versions of them. In Norway, examples of these boxes have been unearthed in the remains of Viking ships dating from 840 A.D. They were used to store valuable possessions, grains, meat, or anything else that might need to be secure. The traditional Norwegian tine, pronounced “teen-ah”, or the Swedish svepask is constructed of a thin piece of steam-bent wood that is laced together with some type of tree root, usually birch. The sides have two vertical posts cut with notches that are used to hold the lid on. Because of the snapping noise that they make when being closed, they are also called snap boxes. To open the tine, the side posts are gently pulled apart using the flex of the wood until the lid is freed and can then be lifted off.

Decorations on tines have varied widely over the years. Some are left unadorned, but many are decorated at the whim of the craftsperson with carvings, hot poker work, or possibly painted. Antique versions are frequently decorated with traditional forms of Rosemaling, or Rose Painting. Rosemaling is a very colorful graphic form of painting that specializes in floral or organic motifs. The style of Rosemaling will vary significantly from region to region within Norway. Some styles are described as Os, Hallingdal, Viksdal, or Telemark. Each is characterized by specific color themes and unique approaches to design. Early boxes decorated with rosemaling are highly prized and often identifiable by artist. Among others Thomas Luraas is one of the better known early rosemalers. Many sophisticated collectors will specialize in work done by a single artist. The tine shown at right is an example of a Viksdal tine also known as the Sogn style which comes from a region in in Norway known as Sogn og Fjordane. These boxes are usually found painted with a salmon colored background and swirls of highly stylized floral designs or “S” curves done in blues, black, white and yellow. Many Viksdal boxes are constructed in a somewhat non-traditional form in that they lack the end corner posts, tend to be round and much like boxes referred to as “pantry boxes” in the US.

History of the Pyrography:
py·rog·ra·phy, a noun, is the art or technique of decorating wood or leather by burning a design on the surface with a heated metallic point. Pyrography was particular popular in America and Europe during the last quarter of the 19th century and first quarter of the 20th century.

We will be offering more important high quality Folk Art and pyrography works of art in the near future.

We have been collecting and dealing in authentic American Folk Art and pyrography works of art for more than thirty years.
Our president has authored informative articles on collecting pyrography and has amassed what is believed to be internationally the largest and finest collection of pyrographic folk art which is now being de-accessioned.

All works of art are guaranteed authentic and as described.