Charming 1889 Wire-Hinged Wooden Box with Hand-sewn, Embroidered Piecework Decoration original carving Jinks began salvaging and collecting

Jinks began salvaging and collecting junk found on the job to make into art

This guy is small

There is a super minor split to the wood of the base at one far corner

which were sold together in one box--are among the rarer among them

Charming 1889 Wire-Hinged Wooden Box with Hand-sewn, Embroidered Piecework Decoration original carving Jinks began salvaging and collectingHandwritten sideways in small, careful numbers on one interior wall of this box is the year 1889, almost like a secret. I think it's possible the wire hinged box itself is a little older than that, but would guess that's when the top of it was decorated with this silk and velvet and brocade piecework quilt of sorts, with embroidered stem of red flowers on dark blue wool at center. A few die cut decoupage elements on the slate gray painted sides, too,