We are pleased to offer this Antique 19th Century Sliding Lid Spice / Storage Box. Constructed using old square nails. The inside is filled with various hardwood and exotic wood samples. The box was apparently used by a carpenter or craftsman at one time. This is a great box for display.Spices were an important part of cooking in the days long before refrigeration was available in most homes. Meat and fish were smoked, pickled, peppered, salted or treated with combinations of spices that kept the food from rotting. A home garden included spices, herbs and edible flowers, all plants that either made it possible to store food or made slightly spoiled food taste better. Fresh spices were used when in season, but most were dried and stored for use later in the year. Some, like salt, were not always found locally and had to be imported. In medieval times, herbs like tansy, rue, hyssop and pennyroyal were used, but today⿿s selection is more likely to be pepper, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and dozens of other flavorful spices. The spice box was an important piece of furniture kept near the cooking area. Sometimes it was made of tin, but most spice boxes were made of wood, many of the early American ones were slide lid. Research Consulted: The New and Revised Catalog of American Antiques by William Ketchum, Page 200 |
