Late 18th or early 19th century, Germanic, bent pine with tied joints and polychrome paint, featuring an image possibly of Napoleon on horseback and inscribed in a border "Schone doch dein yunges Leben; Was wilßt du's fur andre geben." (Take care at least of thy young life-Why would you risk it for others); the sides and base featuring fruit and foliate decoration.

7 3/4 x 11 x 18 1/2 in.

The Estate of the late Dr. Larry Southworth, Fredericksburg, Virginia

Brokered by Bill Beck from King & Queen County, Virginia

A similar box, with an image of a rider alongside a white horse and the same inscription, can be found in the private collection of Franklin M. Weaver, Lansdale, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

Bride’s boxes were created in a distinctive folk art style by people living in Switzerland, the Palitanate, and the Upper Rhine regions of Germany, many of whom immigrated and settled in the Pennsylvania and Virginia area, beginning in the early 17th century. Fleeing religious persecution from their homelands, they found rich and isolated farmland along the Great Wagon Road. Bride’s boxes became an important element of the American folk art tradition characterized by the bold use of color and motifs such as birds and flowers.

The panel of the lid has sunk slightly, some wear to the rims, and rubbing and grime to surface.