Box (part of a set)

Circular box, its lid densely carved in low relief with a strutting peacock surrounded by acanthus scrolls and flowers, while the actual box has incised floral decoration. This type of carving is typical for a group of pieces made in Nancy, in eastern France. The very fine-grained cherry wood, known as “bois de Sainte Lucie,” grew in a nearby forest. Named for the patron saint of the Lorraine region, this type of fruitwood was appreciated for its reddish-brown color and its pleasant smell reminiscent of cinnamon. Furthermore, it lent itself beautifully to carving often in intricate patterns resembling goldsmith work.



This box would have been part of a dressing-table set and would have held powder or other types of make-up. The use of “bois de Sainte Lucie” for dressing-table sets was stimulated by Louis XIV’s sumptuary edicts of 1689 and 1709, which caused much French silver to be melted down.