Carved Love Box - Wedding Box - Folk Art - Dated 1824 - Queyras - Box

Early XIXᵉ century

France - Southern Alps, Queyras

A carved wooden rural chest, dated 1824 on the front, entirely handcrafted from resinous wood, typical of Alpine production. The object features dense, rhythmic decoration structured around deeply incised plant scrolls, typical of knife and gouge work in the Queyras valleys.

The main face develops a symmetrical composition in which a stylized heart can be made out, deliberately concealed in the scrolls. This motif, subtly integrated into the ornament, is a direct reference to love or wedding boxes, frequent in Alpine folk traditions. The symbol is not asserted frontally but inscribed in the material, according to a logic specific to these productions.

The decorative vocabulary relies in particular on a stylized palm shape, here slightly transformed, as well as recumbent "8" motifs, treated as a frieze and integrated into the overall rhythm of the composition. These elements, though simplified and adapted by the craftsman's hand, are part of an ornamental repertoire characteristic of Queyras, where repetition and variation around curved forms structure the overall decor.

The lid, entirely carved, develops a free decoration of foliage and spiral forms, occupying the entire surface without reserve. This saturation of decorative space, with no areas left empty, is a distinctive feature of Alpine production, where the gesture favors continuity and density of motif.

The sides and reverse feature geometric and solar compositions, evoking protective signs from an ancient repertoire. These motifs reinforce the symbolic dimension of the object, over and above its utilitarian function.

The work, direct and unacademic, preserves the visible traces of the tool. Irregularities and variations in depth reflect a spontaneous execution, typical of local manufacture, where the hand guides more than the model.

The work is direct and unacademic, preserving the visible traces of the tool.

This type of box was intended to store small personal possessions: papers, savings or souvenirs. The presence of the suggested heart inscribes the object with an intimate dimension, possibly evoking a wedding present or an object of attachment.

This type of box was designed to store small personal possessions: papers, savings or souvenirs.

The warm patina, tinged with deep browns, bears witness to long use and the passage of time. It lends the ensemble a strong presence and a fully alive material.

Expressive piece, deeply rooted in Queyras folk traditions, where decoration becomes language and the object goes beyond its function to carry a discreet but persistent symbolic charge.

Condition: beautiful old patina, marked wear from use, lid damaged with cracks and missing parts, stable structure, sound interior.

Dimensions: 45 x 33 x 25 cm

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