Napoleonic Prisoner of War Straw Work Box

Napoleonic prisoner of war straw work marquetry ladies sewing or jewelry box with hinged lid opening to reveal a mirror in the lid and two compartments opening to a fitted interior with one long section for needles and scissors and four small compartments for spools of thread which would be threaded through the four bone holes.

This box dates to the Napoleonic wars between the French and English. Prisoners-of-war were held in purpose-built prisoner-of-war depots and typically were soldiers and sailors of the rank and file. Straw was a popular craft material for prisoners of war. They turned their skill to the making of cases and boxes covered with intricate straw patterns created using the contrasts between the light and dark sides of the straw strips. Those who understood dyes were also able to add color to their work and produced some very sophisticated objects. Fewer of these straw items have survived to the present day, but there are still some lovely straw-covered boxes and cases which are intact.