Totally knackered but absolutely charming folk art shellwork box
With a ton of losses but somehow that doesn't detract from its charm
Shellwork souvenirs were produced in the late Victorian/early Edwardian period and purchased as mementoes from holidays to coastal towns and seaside spots. The name originally came from the shell decorated pieces that sailors would bring home to their loved ones from Barbados. The myth was that the sailors made these themselves of an evening as they pined for their loved ones ... But in reality there was an enterprising cottage industry knocking them out and the salty seamen would purchase them at a gift store before heading home.
Made from cardboard with shell decoration, I've owned this little box for years but its time for it to move onto a new home.
Size: 12cm x 9cm