Antique Spruce Gum Box ca. late 1800's Early American Folk Art from Maine
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$1,495.00
$1,495.00
per item
This is a handsome antique wooden spruce gum box in the traditional book shape with a sliding lid on each end. The wood is very light in color with no grain and I am unsure what type it is. It has chip carved triangles with an inlaid heart, diamonds, a spade and crosses. Each piece of inlay is of a different type of wood. It measures 4" by 2 1/2" by 1 1/2" wide.
Often associated with logging and lumbering activities, spruce gum boxes, also known as gum books, were the work of the Maine lumberman, made deep in the woods for a loved one. They were usually made from a solid piece of wood, often with a sliding top and bottom. Most gum boxes date from 1850-1920, after which improved transportation allowed lumbermen to return home more frequently and thereby ended this distinctive Maine folk art.
Traditionally spruce gum was harvested by woodsmen: lumbermen, trappers, and even professional “gummers.” Spruce gum comes from sap that is hardened into resin. While it can be collected from any species of spruce, it mostly comes from red and black spruce. It takes about two to four years to cure before it can be chewed, depending on the size.
In the 1800s, an entire industry developed around spruce gum. Maine was the largest and probably first producer of gum in the Northeast with nearly two dozen companies emerging between 1848-1910.
Often associated with logging and lumbering activities, spruce gum boxes, also known as gum books, were the work of the Maine lumberman, made deep in the woods for a loved one. They were usually made from a solid piece of wood, often with a sliding top and bottom. Most gum boxes date from 1850-1920, after which improved transportation allowed lumbermen to return home more frequently and thereby ended this distinctive Maine folk art.
Traditionally spruce gum was harvested by woodsmen: lumbermen, trappers, and even professional “gummers.” Spruce gum comes from sap that is hardened into resin. While it can be collected from any species of spruce, it mostly comes from red and black spruce. It takes about two to four years to cure before it can be chewed, depending on the size.
In the 1800s, an entire industry developed around spruce gum. Maine was the largest and probably first producer of gum in the Northeast with nearly two dozen companies emerging between 1848-1910.
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