Jewellery box - popu

Hand-painted wooden decorative box with a mythological scene — probably mid-20th century

Description

A charming and striking decorative wooden box, entirely hand-painted and lacquered. The lid features a figurative, classical mythological-inspired scene: a reclining woman with long black hair and two white swans. The composition evokes the legend of Leda and the Swan — a popular subject in European visual art. The image is painted on a warm, natural wooden background with brown accents, and finished with a glossy lacquer.

The sides of the box are painted on a cream-yellow base with a row of colored flowers (dianthus? chrysanthemums?) in blue, orange, and red, each with flowing green leaves. This decoration runs all around the box.

The hinge-less loose lid fits perfectly and precisely onto the bottom tray. Inside, both the lid and the interior of the box are lacquered black. Such a clean, dark interior was common for jewelry or trinket boxes of the time. Wood type: probably poplar or linden.

Condition

The object shows hardly any signs of use, only very light tiny scratches in the lacquer and minimal paint flaking along the hinge edge, consistent with its age. The scene on the lid is intact. There are no cracks in the wood. Only at the bottom are signs of wear visible.

Dimensions

The box measures 177 mm × 98 mm × 40 mm. The interior dimensions of the box are 160 mm x 78 mm.

Origin and style

The painting style with loose, sketchy lines and expressive color use points to folk art or artisanal production, possibly of Eastern European or Mediterranean origin (comparable to Russian, Polish, or Italian folk art traditions from the period 1940–1970). No signature or mark is visible. Inside the lid along the entire length appears to be a lemniscate drawn in the paint strokes (the ∞ sign). This is unfortunately not visible in a photo. It could have been placed accidentally by the organic, flowing paint strokes, but it could also be a subtle personal mark, a signature in an inconspicuous spot. The lemniscate symbol stands for infinity, continuity, and eternity, and like the swan, is a well-known symbol in Western iconography.

In any case, the hand-painted lacquer strokes are characteristic of artisanal manufacture.

Suitable for:

- Lovers of folk art, decorative boxes, mythological iconography, or mid-century curiosities.
- Also decorative as an ornament on a desk or vanity.