CHAPTER 14: STRAW WORK

Figure 14.1: Pair of straw-work tea canisters, c. 1800. Geometric straw-work decoration, in original unfaded, condition applied directly to a pine carcass; ebonised wooden mouldings on all edges; sliding lids with turned bone knobs; base not covered; interiors lined with tinfoil. Height 11.4 cm (4 ½ in); width 15.5 cm (6 1/8 in); depth 7.6 cm (3 in). Private collection

Figure 14.2: Straw-work caddy, probably French, c. 1810. Fine straw-work decoration on (slightly faded) all sides; lively peasant scene on top of lid and flower sprigs and leaf sprays on sides. Width 14 cm (5 ½ in). Private collection  

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Figure 14.5: Dunstable ware trinket box, probably Dunstable ware, nineteenth century. Straw-work decoration on pasteboard carcass, edged with straw plait; lift-off lid. Height 11 cm (4.3 in); width 8 cm (3.1 in); depth 3.7 cm (1 ½ in). Luton Culture 

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Figure 14.6: Straw-work caddy, probably Dunstable ware, c. 1840. Geometric straw-work decoration mounted on paper on a pine carcass; base not covered; brass hinges; interior lined throughout with tinfoil; two compartments without inner lids. Height 11.5 cm (4 ½ in); width 17 cm (6 ¾ in); depth 11.8 cm (4 3/5 in). Luton Culture 

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Figure 14.7: Set of three straw-work canisters with their shagreen chest, c. 1732, attributed to C. F. V. Hering. Very fine pictorial straw-work decoration mounted on paper, over a tinplate carcass; landscape, chinoiserie and maritime scenes on front and back; leaves, flowers and geometric decoration on top and sides; some details incised and highlighted in black; cap lids; typical British shagreen chest, with silver mounts; interior with three compartments; lined throughout with green velvet trimmed with silver braid. Canisters: height 11 cm (4 ¼ in). Private collection (Photo: Grant Ellis)

Figure 14.8: Straw-work canister, c. 1732, attributed to C. F. V. Hering. Exquisite straw-work decoration (faded) mounted on paper, over a tinplate carcass; chinoiserie scene of man taking tea on front; fruits and foliage on sides; reclining woman, with river landscape, on rear; some details incised and highlighted in black; base also covered with straw work incorporating a flower head; cap lid. Height 10.8 cm (4 ¼ in); width 7.6 cm (3 in); depth 5.1 cm (2 in). Luton Culture 

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Figure 14.11: Straw-work caddy, made by Napoleonic prisoners-of-war, c. 1800. Geometric straw-work patterns on paper applied to a thin pine carcass (4.8 mm/3/16 in); carved bone escutcheon and knob; flimsy lock; tinplate hinges; base covered with off-white sugar paper; underside of main lid with fine unfaded straw decoration; two interior compartments lined with rolled lead with marbled paper above; inner lids with very fine straw-work decoration and carved bone knobs, and undersides covered with the same marbled paper. Like many antique straw-work items, the exterior, which may originally have been coloured, has darkened through exposure to the atmosphere and light. Height 14.6 cm (5 ¾ in); width 21.6 cm (8 ½ in); depth 12 cm (4 ¾ in). Private collection  

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Figure 14.12: Straw-work caddy, made by Napoleonic prisoners-of-war, c. 1800. Geometric straw-work patterns (faded) on paper, applied to a thin pine carcass (4.8mm/3/16); carved bone knob to assist opening; iron lock; no escutcheon; simple tinplate hinges; base covered with simple striped straw work; underside of lid covered with unfaded straw work in green, gold and brown; two interior compartments lined with rolled lead mounted on thick paper ‘stapled’ into place, overlapped with pink paper; inner lids with geometric green and natural straw work decoration and carved bone knobs, and undersides covered with rolled lead and pink paper. Height 15 cm (6 in); width 22.4 cm (8 ¾ in); depth 11 cm (4 3/8 in). Peterborough Museum & Art Gallery 

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Figure 14.13: Straw-work caddy, made by Napoleonic prisoners-of-war, c. 1800. Geometric straw-work patterns executed on paper, applied to a thin pine carcass; brass handle with pressed brass backplate on lid; carved bone escutcheon; steel lock; tinplate hinges; base covered with scrap of chequered fabric; underside of main lid with unfaded geometric straw work centred on tiny bead rosette; inner lid with straw-work decoration and bone knob; interior lined with rolled lead. Height 11.7 cm (4 5/8 in); width 13. 3 cm (5 ¼ in); depth 13.3 cm (5 ¼ in). Luton Culture 

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Figure 14.16: Straw-work caddy, possibly made by Napoleonic prisoners-of-war, c. 1800. Geometric straw-work decoration, with punch-cut motifs, on paper, applied to a thick beech carcass (15 mm/5/8 in); various borders, including punch-cut ovals and stylised holly leaves; top of lid decorated with large central fan design; standard brass lock; single brass stop hinge; base not covered; single interior compartment with plain mahogany inner lid, lined with tinfoil. Height 11.2 cm (4 3/8 in); width 14.7 cm (5 7/8 in); depth 9.5 cm (3 ¾ in). © Victoria and Albert Museum, London 

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Figure 14.17: Straw-work chest, possibly made by Napoleonic prisoners-of-war, or produced in Continental Europe, maybe in France, c. 1800. Boulle-inspired decoration in green (now faded) and natural straw on paper on a pine carcass; pattern virtually identical to that in Figure 15.16; two embossed-straw roundels on top of lid; no escutcheon; brass stop hinges and lock; base covered with black paper; underside of lid and inner rims finished with simple striped straw work; canisters with striped straw-work decoration in natural colours and central embossed-straw roundel with rose spray on top of each sliding lid; bases of canisters covered with off-white paper; traces of tinfoil in interiors. Height 14.6 cm (5 ¾ in); width 20.9 cm (8 ¼ in); depth12.7 cm (5 in). Private collection  

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Figure 14.18: Straw-work caddy, possibly made by Napoleonic prisoners-of-war, or produced in Continental Europe, maybe in France, c. 1800. Boulle-inspired straw-work decoration on paper applied to a pine carcass; decoration of swags of flowers and foliage on all sides and vertical stripes on the canted corner panels; embossed-straw roundel on top of lid; brass drop-loop handle, stop hinges and standard lock; inner rims finished with simple striped straw work; base covered with later paper; single interior compartment. Height 14.8 cm (5 3/4 in); width 10.5 cm (4 1/8 in); depth 10.5 cm (4 1/8 in). Private collection 

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Figure 14.19: Straw-work canister, c. 1800, possibly made by Napoleonic prisoners-of-war, or of Italian origin. Tinplate carcass decorated on front, rear, shoulders and top of lid with raised, punch-cut onlaid straw work in bold floral patterns mounted on paper; central heart-shaped watercolour views of rural scenes, each covered by panel of mica, on front and rear; fine punch-cut zig-zag borders on edges; woven straw on side panels and around cap lid; base covered with decorative paper. Height 14 cm (5 ½ in); width 8.9 cm (3 ½ in); depth 3.8 cm (1 ½ in). Peterborough Museum & Art Gallery 

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Figure 14.20: Straw-work canister, possibly made by Napoleonic prisoners-of-war, or of Italian origin c. 1800. Tinplate carcass; decorated on front and rear with hand-coloured prints of ‘The Last Supper’ and ‘Fons Vitae’, covered with glass; side panels with straw flowers and leaves mounted on off-white paper, also protected by glass; straw work on paper in fine Florentine pattern on concave corner panels, shoulders, and lid; shoulders bordered with punch-cut florets; fine punch-cut borders on other edges; base covered with decorative paper. Height 17 cm (6 ¾ in); width 13.5 cm (5 3/8 in); depth 7.5 cm (2 7/8 in). Peterborough Museum & Art Gallery