Spice Box with line & berry design

[TENdriver]

I was reading a really great Winterthur book called “Paint, Pattern and People” that has a picture (below) of a fantastic Line and Berry door.

I remembered that PhilS was working on a similar type of project but didn’t see the finished piece in my Search.

Does this ring a bell with anyone?

BTW, I redid this photo multiple times and the phone likes it in landscape versus portrait!

 

[Phil S]

You remember correctly. Four of the Pennsylvania spice boxes are on my list - That is the work on them when there is nothing else to do list.
I was thinking that it would be best to work on all four at the same time, but I shifted that plan and moved one up on the front burner. One of my wife's nurses, Pam, has her 50th birthday coming up in mid September so I am getting one done for her.

I promise I will take some photos. I am down to making a few more drawer boxes and the front door. I am using a plan from Steve Latta, but as always I keep making changes.

Here is what the door looks like in Steve's plan:

I like the curved top rail but not the inlay design

so I am going to modify this design to fit with the curved rail.

Hopefully the inlay will happen this weekend.

 

[Jeff]

Interesting memory recall and I remember Phil's original thread as well. I've seen the Steve Latta article at FWW too.

 

[zdorsch]

Those look very nice Phil!

 

[TENdriver]

Phil, According to the Winterthur book, there are 125 known original line and berry pieces. I think they may have been including some stuff from MESDA.

I can’t remember a single piece that didn’t impress me with their simple understated beauty.

Looking forward to the photos of your piece. Hopefully you’ll have enough time to thoroughly document the WIP and share your process.

 

[Matt Furjanic]

If you are looking for a source for holly stringing and the inlay banding required, go to www.inlaybanding.com.

 

[Jim M.]

If you ever get a chance to go to Winterthur Mansion and Museum take it, the collection is amazing. We were traveling north on US 95 and detoured to see it. The place was about 15 minutes north of Wimington DE, 95 runs right through the city, so not a huge detour, but well worth it.

 

[Jeff]

Interesting history behind the spice boxes. Most were made in Chester county, PA, weren't used much for spices, and didn't have the line and berry inlays if you weren't wealthy.

http://www.thehuntmagazine.com/arts-antiques/2009/06/pennsylvania-spice-boxes/

I found this interesting article at FWW, FYI.

 

[Phil S]

If you are looking for a source for holly stringing and the inlay banding required, go to www.inlaybanding.com.

I purchased the inlay banding and the router bits I needed from Matt. Good products and great customer service.

There is no other source for inlay

 

[Brantnative]

Lee Valley has a set of hand tools for inlaying. I bought mine there when I built my Pennsylvania Spice box from the FWW pattern.