Antique Painted Firkin

Details

Description

Antique Painted Pantry Box / Firkin

This piece is a wooden firkin or pantry box, dating to the 19th century. … Read more Antique Painted Pantry Box / Firkin

This piece is a wooden firkin or pantry box, dating to the 19th century. These lidded containers were traditionally used for storing dry goods like sugar, flour, or lard. Here are its key characteristics:
• Material: Painted wood, with visible age-related wear and patina.
• Shape: Cylindrical with slightly tapered sides.
• Color: Appears to be an original or early paint in a deep blue/green hue, with areas of distress showing wood and possibly traces of blue or teal underlayers.
• Lid: The lid is flat and fits snugly over the top, with some visible cracks consistent with age.
• Handle: Bentwood swing handle attached with wooden pegs or metal pins—typical of firkins and pantry boxes.
• Construction: Staved sides with wood banding secured by nails or wooden pegs, characteristic of coopered construction.

Notable Details
• The wear and paint chipping suggest authentic age rather than a reproduction.
• The color and form indicate New England or Northeastern U.S. origins, common for utilitarian kitchen and storage items in the 1800s. See less