Very Wonderful 19th Century Paint Decorated Treen Book Box with Slide Opening, Signed Mark Bailey victorian seashells It seems possible that there

It seems possible that there was once something behind the cutout but I don't know

black and white paint

Lovely penmanship in black ink

or any other manner of small treasures and assorted odds and ends

Very Wonderful 19th Century Paint Decorated Treen Book Box with Slide Opening, Signed Mark Bailey victorian seashells It seems possible that thereA rare find and a real beauty, found in upstate NY. This is a small, paint decorated, folk art book shaped box, carved from one piece of wood, with a slide opening on the long side. It feels close kin to a spruce gum box, but the slide on those is typically on one short end, and they tend to be a bit larger and this feels to me a bit earlier, c. 1840s I believe. With this gorgeous wide band of rich mustard paint across the near top of the spine for