Santo Domingo Lemonwood Shawl Box. Restoration Period

Interesting wedding or shawl box, veneered with Santo Domingo lemon (Zanthoxylum flavum), a precious wood native to the Antilles, appreciated in the 18th and 19th centuries for its golden yellow hue and moiré reflections. The veneer, surrounded by rosewood fillets, is embellished with a decorative architecture of silver diamond-headed nails, typical of the refined taste of the Restoration. The original silver-plated side handles, as well as the period lock with its antique bronze-headed key, complete this elegant cabinetmaking work. The box rests on small turned feet in blackened wood, emphasizing its curved silhouette. The interior retains its original moiré, slightly stained and marked by time with mainly a small tear, but intact in its arrangement. The set has been cleaned and presented in a very good state of conservation, apart from a few missing nails. This box perfectly illustrates the description made by Paulin Désormeaux in 1837 in his Dictionnaire de l'Industrie manufacturière, when he mentions these lemon wood works: > "Lemon wood furniture [...] has been highly sought after these days, and still is by many people. Time has done justice to the steel nails and handles with which it was believed to adorn the small chests and ladies' necessaries made of this wood." (P. Désormeaux, 1837, t. II, p. 199) Thus, this box represents a rare and documented example of this decorative fashion associating the lemon tree of Saint-Domingue with a geometric nailwork decoration, mentioned by period sources and which has become emblematic of the refined productions of the first half of the 19th century. Dimensions: Height: 19 cm Width: 51 cm Depth: 33 cm