Antique 18th century Pennsylvania Colonial Period Sewing Box with Joseph and Margaret McCall Swift Provenance:

This Georgian black tooled leather work/ sewing casket style box belonged to Mary McCall Swift. She was one of two unmarried daughters of the important colonial family of Joseph and Margaret Swift. The unmarried daughters lived together at Digby Hall, north of Philadelphia, in elegant patrician style. This Georgian period sewing box was owned by them and passed down in the family.

Open the box to reveal a silk portrait of a lady in garden scene placed inside the lid. It is fragile silk and shows wear and tear. See photos. Behind which there is a folder for personal items. A group of dried flowers remains.

The leather tooled interior has many lidded smaller containers for sewing tools. They are lined with original attractive shiny silver color paper with a black dot pattern.

There is a drawer that opens from the front of this casket form work box. It is below the main interior compartment. This is where the provenance was found. See photos.

The sewing box stands on cast brass winged paw feet. There are brass handles on the sides and a detailed brass plaque on the lid depicting a recumbent lady relaxing in the garden.

It has a working lock mechanism and the original key.

This sewing box is in overall good condition for its age. However there is wear of tooled leather in places and some chips at the corners. See photos.

Provenance:

Joseph Swift and Margaret McCall Swift.

( An important family of the Colonial and Revolutionary periods. See the book by E.Digby Baltzell for more information.)

Provenance:

Note wrapped around antique wooden sewing tool.

Written in pen, “Mary’s Work Box”and added in pencil “90 years old”

Note found inside the drawer of the work box

reads, “Owner of this box was Miss Mary Swift one of two unmarried daughters of Joseph and Margaret McCall Swift - of Philadelphia- The two lived in patrician style at Digby Hall north of Philadelphia-“.

Another note reads, “Dorcas box used by a lady of the Colonial period for her needle work. Owned by Sara Swift.

Measures approximately 11” x 8” by 8”

As found condition

Circa 1790

Code: tkRK