Trunk

Object Name:

Trunk

Object ID:

1972.516.03

Creator:

Morrill, Asa (1816-1870)Leatherworker

Place of Origin:

Concord, NH

Date:

circa 1840

Description:

Trunk, leather on wood. Made by Asa Morrill, Concord, NH. Rectangular trunk with incised leather covering. Hinged cover with leather handle and flap overlapping opening between cover and bottom. Two-piece handle with two strips of leather sewn together. Strips extend leather covering at top at ends of handles and are held in place by two possibly brass, flat discs, slightly domed upholstery tacks. (Color of corrosion might be indicative of silver material instead of brass.) One of them, 0.7" diameter; other 0.5" diameter. Same formation at other end of handle. Larger tacks closest to handle. Flat handle swells somewhat at beginning, narrows down to neck, then swells again to longer, wide area of center of handle. Symmetrical with same shapes at other end. Stitching in leather top adjacent to metal fasteners. Leather surfaces sewn together and glued to some areas of box. Leather wrapped around bottom edge where it was fastened with iron tacks. Top surface starts at bottom edge of front of lid, where it is probably glued in place, goes across top and all way down back, extending slightly under bottom surface. Left edge sewn to left side of lid at front, top, and back all the way down to bottom where it tucks under slightly. On left side, bottom piece on sewn to front surface and back piece. Bottom piece sewn at left and right edges on front and tacked at top edge and underneath bottom edge. Top piece sewn to top surface piece at front, top, and back on right side. Bottom piece sewn to front and back piece. On right, top edge of bottom piece tacked at top and tacked on bottom where it wraps around. On lid, apron, ~1.3" wide, sewn to leather near bottom edge of lid. Apron one piece all the way around. Apron darker color with incised line at its bottom edge. On top, front, left and right sides, series of incised lines creating squares and triangles to provide geometric design throughout exterior surfaces. Some curved lines create central, symmetrical, geometric shape on top of lid associated with handle. Stitching on apron ~six stitches per inch. Ten stitches per inch on larger sections of leather. Many of leather joints skived and shaped to create fine, joint line to help hide stitching. Iron lock plate on front, at center of bottom section, ear top edge. Plate 2.3" wide x 2.2" high. Held in place with four iron tacks. Four sections of slightly-chamfered design on each edge. Brass keyhole escutcheon with crown design. Steel stub in upper portion of keyhole. At upper left corner, vertically-oriented rectangular slot. Worn brownish surface coating on lock plate. Iron hasp on lid under apron that hangs downward, slightly tapering with clipped corners at bottom and turned-over finger tab that curls around on itself. Three iron tacks hold hasp mechanism in place. Inside of box covered with finely printed textile of off-white color with fine blue design on it. Design consists of overlapping diamond-shapes with two smaller diamonds in center, one solid and other with small opening in it. Outer diamond borders, fine parallel lines next to each other to create larger diamond shape. Vertical repeat of design, 0.33". Horizontal repeat, 0.45". Wooden lip around front and side edges of bottom section, applied to wood sides. Covered by textile lining. In center of back edge inside box, white woven textile bands nailed to horizontal lid and horizontal box surfaces to presumably keep lid from opening too far. Nailed with brass upholstery tacks. Not executed with same precision of rest of box. Bottom covered with same fine blue pattern textile, tacked in place as well as partially glued. Bottom lower left corner, brass foot missing and textile ripped and folded back some. Three of original four rounding brass knobs are feet. Inside lid, printed paper label reads "ASA MORRILL, / No. 20, MAIN STREET. / hard leather, bag top, and common / TRUNKS. / COACH, CHAISE, GIG and BUGGY / HARNESSES. / CONCORD, N.H." Each line different font. Label 2.2" high x 3.4" wide; printed border around edge of label, 0.4" wide; border consists of fanciful floral and curlicues in symmetrical layout.

Material:

Wood
Leather
Brass
Metal
Textile

Dimensions:

H-6.1 W-13.9 D-10.1 inches Weight-68.3 oz

Provenance:

Acquired from the Concord Female Charitable Society.

Credit Line:

New Hampshire Historical Society Collection

People:

Morrill, Asa (1816-1870)

Subjects:

Boxes, Crowns, Trunks