Georgian Barrel-Form Brass Bound Mahogany String Holder C. 1830

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Description

This barrel-form string holder is fashioned as a miniature coopered cask, turned in dense hardwood, likely mahogany, and secured with … Read more This barrel-form string holder is fashioned as a miniature coopered cask, turned in dense hardwood, likely mahogany, and secured with three brass bands fastened by small domed screws that reinforce the illusion of functional hoops. The cylindrical body is presented horizontally on a shaped plinth base with softly molded edges, giving the object the presence of a small desk or countertop accessory rather than a purely utilitarian shop fitting. One end is fitted with a removable cup-form cap, revealing the hollowed interior cavity intended to store twine; the opposing end is drilled with a single exit aperture so the string may be drawn through in use, allowing the vessel to function as an early household dispenser for parcel cord, kitchen twine, or sewing and wrapping string. The contrast between warm, close-grained timber and muted brass mounts aligns with 19th-century taste for compact, well-made domestic tools that disguised their purpose within familiar historical forms, here borrowing from the language of maritime and mercantile storage. The construction suggests practical longevity—thick turned walls, robust metal reinforcement, and a stable, weighted footprint—while the sculptural silhouette reads as a small curiosity cabinet object when displayed among other Georgian or Victorian desk and dressing-table wares.

Measurements: 4" h x 3.125" w x 4.625" d. See less