Shaker outlet style oval box set with lids; pine oval boxes; steamed wood; farmhouse style container; handmade bent wood boxes

This is a set of three Shaker-style oval boxes, made from steam-bent pine in the traditional handmade manner. The "fingers" are secured with copper tacks and each has a snug lid to match. They have a lovely distressed "black cherry" gloss finish.

These are not your typical mass-produced containers found in a chain retail store. These boxes are constructed through many painstaking steps, which include re-sawing and planing pine to make it outlet very thin (less than 1/8"), steaming it for hours so it's pliable enough to bend around a form, then carefully tacking the fingers into place. The top and bottom are held securely in place with tiny wooden pegs. Once completely dry and set, the outside finish can be applied. In this case, there are nine layers of finish to achieve the beautiful red/black glow you see. The insides are left unfinished as would have traditionally been done.

The Shakers used these oval boxes for all kinds of tasks. These would have been useful in the coat room for gloves, for keeping cookies fresh in the kitchen, or storing sewing notions. They are very lightweight but strong, and the simple beauty of the steam-bent wood is a marvel.

There are three boxes in the set:
(1) Size #4, which is approximately 8.75" wide and 6.25" at the widest part of the oval. The sides are about 3.5" high
(2) Size #3, about 7.5" x 5". Sides are 2.75"
(3) Size #2, about 6" x 4". Sides are 2.25" high


Thank you for considering our handmade items!