Box
Unknown Artist
1680–1700
Medium
White oak, maple
Dimensions
9 x 29 1/2 x 17 1/4 in. (22.9 x 74.9 x 43.8 cm)
Classification
Box
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Russell Sage, 1909
Accession Number
10.125.684
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, this unassuming yet elegant wooden box, crafted from white oak and between 1680 and1700, offers a window into early colonial American life. Measuring 9 x 29½ x 17¼ inches, its sturdy rectangular form was likely designed for practical storage—perhaps safeguarding household linens, documents, or valuables in a frontier home. The choice of native woods reflects the resourcefulness of colonial craftsmen: durable white oak for strength and beautifully grained maple for decorative elements, joined with precise mortise-and-tenon techniques ho...