Posted 3 years ago
Curious62
(1 item)
I would appreciate any information someone may have. The box I have is very different from the jewelry ones I see. It is very old. It was my Grandmother's who would be over 120 if she were alive today. On the bottom you can see someone wrote in pencil No. 170. The hinges are also different than others. May help in dating. Thank you to any one who can help me with information. Don't need value.
I would wonder why anyone would make a jewelry box out of cedar wood?
Seems to be quite a few of these online listed under different names for them. Esty has a couple just like the one you have but with a mirror on the inside lid. Asking prices are a bit high for a cedar box but maybe the name makes them worth $35.
fhrjr2, Yes, I saw quite a few myself, e.g.:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1087390145/pillion-wooden-chest-with-brass-fixtures
I don't know why they'd make them out of cedar, either, but apparently Pilliod used to make jewelry boxes for Lane:
*snip*
Remember Mr. Krauss said Lane bought boxes by the thousands from Chicago and Ohio. I did some research and found Pilliod Lumber Company made machinists chests and little boxes in the early 20th century. I was able to also locate a Pilliod box with rabbet and dado joinery just like the LHF Lane box and the Peterson Brothers boxes discussed earlier.
*snip*
https://lanecedarbox.wordpress.com/2017/08/15/early-era-boxes-ohio-manufacturer/
https://www.ebay.ca/sch/i.html?_nkw=pilliod+box
Curious62, What initially threw me was your statement that the hinges are different from any other jewelry boxes you've seen, but didn't show a picture of the hinges.
I decided that you might mean those decorative metal straps that extend across the top and front of the box.
A brief bit of Pilliod history:
*snip*
The Pilliod Lumber Company of Swanton, established by T.J. Pilliod in 1896. In addition to their "Built for Service" line of tool chests "for Machinists, Carpenters, Salesmen, Repairmen and Fishermen," they made jewelry boxes, silverware chests and, during the first World War, boxes for military medals.
*snip*
https://www.etsy.com/listing/590269351/machinist-tool-chestpilliod-wood-storage
The founder:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7802437/louis-napoleon-pilliod
And then there is this tidbit:
*snip*
RICHARD J. PILLIOD | February 1, 2009 at 9:49 am
HELLO MY NAME IS RICHARD J. PILLIOD AND I AM FROM SWANTON OHIO. MY GRANDFATHER WAS THE FOUNDER OF THE PILLIOD CABINET COMPANY IN SWANTON. I HAVE A CASE JUST LIKE THE ONE ABOVE. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS YOU CAN E-MAIL ME AND I WILL TRY TO HELP WITH ANY THING I CAN.
*snip*
https://intheworkshop.com/2007/11/14/tool-box/
It looks like you'd need to subscribe to the blog via email (go to the link I supplied).
I was gonna guess it was a cigar box that somebody had added the lining/etc to, but it looks like y'all got it covered already?!