It is a bentwood bride's box with its fascinating folk art paint decoration still intact. The mysterious scene is full of ancient symbolism: a snow leopard is chained to a tall monument which holds a giant burning heart. The mythological Cupid is suspended above the scene and has launched an arrow from his bow that travels toward its target: the smoking heart. There are three groups of flowers behind the leopard.
The initials, F.G.G., are painted along the border in archaic German script, along with four words that are translated: "Trust not the World". The box is held together with wooden pegs and likely dates to between 1780 and 1820. Although it is constructed like a typical German bride's box, its atypical decoration may suggest a Pennsylvania German origin. This extraordinary piece was previously part of the collection of the late Bruce Knight, an avid antique collector and the founder and former proprietor of the Heart of Ohio Antique Center, the largest antique mall in the country, located in Springfield, Ohio
The initials, F.G.G., are painted along the border in archaic German script, along with four words that are translated: "Trust not the World". The box is held together with wooden pegs and likely dates to between 1780 and 1820. Although it is constructed like a typical German bride's box, its atypical decoration may suggest a Pennsylvania German origin. This extraordinary piece was previously part of the collection of the late Bruce Knight, an avid antique collector and the founder and former proprietor of the Heart of Ohio Antique Center, the largest antique mall in the country, located in Springfield, Ohio