Box
Unknown Artist
1675–1700
Medium
Oak, pine
Dimensions
7 x 21 x 13 1/4 in. (17.8 x 53.3 x 33.7 cm)
Classification
Box
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. J. Woodhull Overton, 1966
Accession Number
66.190.2
Art Historical Context
Nestled in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, this unassuming yet elegant wooden box, crafted between 1675 and 1700, offers a window into early colonial American life. Made from sturdy oak and pine—two of the most readily available hardwoods in the New World—the box measures a compact 7 x 21 x 13¼ inches, perfect for storing valuables, documents, or household goods in modest homes. Donated in 1966 by Mrs. J. Woodhull Over, it exemplifies the practical craftsmanship of anonymous artisans during a time when European settlers were establishing self-sufficient communities. Though the...