Box: front view |
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Object Description
| Brief description | Carved box, Richard Ryan, Eau Claire, 1883. |
| Object name | Box |
| Alternate object name | Valuables box; Bible box; Jewelry box; Treenware; Woodenware |
| Maker | Ryan, Richard, 1857-1934 |
| Date | 1883 |
| Dimensions | 4"H x 13 1/4"W x 9"D |
| Materials and techniques | Carved wood (probably ash) with black and gold paint; Bone; Lithographs; Velvet lining |
| Marks | "R. Ryan" in pitch or paint on lower back |
| Original location | Eau Claire, Eau Claire County, Wisconsin |
| Current location | Eau Claire, Eau Claire County, Wisconsin |
| Description | Wooden jewelry or valuables box in the shape of a Bible. The front and back are carved in shallow relief with crosses, vines, leaves and flowers. The heart-in-hand motif carved on the back is a symbol used by several fraternal organizations including the Masons and the International Order of Odd Fellows. The carved and painted spine reads "The Holy Bible by RR 1883." The hinged lid lifts to reveal a velvet-lined interior with a painted black and gold border and two lithographs of children dressed in folk costume. Bone escutcheons (keyhole plates) and two hidden drawers. |
| History | According to tradition, Richard Ryan carved this box from the wood of a tree that fell on him during a logging accident and broke his leg. The box descended in the Ryan family. Richard Ryan arrived in Eau Claire, Wisconsin from Quebec, Canada in 1882. He was a member of the Eau Claire police force and served as the street commissioner for the city. The box was included in the exhibition "The Finest in the Western Country: Wisconsin Decorative Arts 1820-1900" at the Milwaukee Art Museum, 2008. |
| Sources | Richard Ryan obituary, unidentified Eau Claire newspaper, August 24, 1934. |
| Owner | Chippewa Valley Museum |
| Object # | 1490-0001-1984 |
| Rights | (c) 2007 by the Chippewa Valley Museum. Contact the owner for more information. http://www.cvmuseum.com/ |
| Digital collection | Wisconsin Decorative Arts Database |
| Digital identifier | CVM002 |
| Digital format | XML |
| Type | Physical object |
| Keywords | Woodwork; Box (container); Container (receptacle); Furnishings and equipment; Household Accessory |
| Date digitized | 2007-03-02 |
| Date modified | 2010-11-23 |
Description
| Object name | Box: front view |
| Object # | 1490-0001-1984 |
| Rights | (c) 2007 by the Chippewa Valley Museum. Contact the owner for more information. http://www.cvmuseum.com/ |
| Digital collection | Wisconsin Decorative Arts Database |
| Digital identifier | CVM002a |
| Digital format | image/jpeg |
| Type | Physical object |
| Date digitized | 2007-03-02 |
| Date modified | 2008-03-19 |
