Mauchline Ware are wooden souvenirs manufactured in Scotland, primarily in factories in or near Mauchline and predominantly made of sycamore. The items have various finishes in a large variety of applications. Most Mauchline Ware products have transfers or photographs of popular tourist locations. There were also finishes with tartan, fern, and black lacquer.
On offer here is a rarer honey-toned wooden box. It is of a larger size and would have be used to store like keepsakes or trinkets in. These larger boxes are hard to find - and ones that are souvenirs from the 1886 Edinburgh International Exhibition are even rarer! This one would be used as a box - but it was originally designed as a money box - with a slot for your coins at the back - and a little lock at the front so your money was kept safe.
It is very interesting historically. The front of the box has an applied print of the Bandstand at the exhibition. The image was originally published in the Pictorial Souvenir of The International Exhibition and Old Edinburgh (Banks & Co, Edinburgh, 1886). The image on my box was printed especially to be added as decoration to these souvenir boxes.
The bandstand in the Meadows no longer exists - and seems to have been part demolished and later completely removed in the second half for the 20th century. There is little documentation of what happened to it after the exhibition closed - so this is certainly a rare document of it being there and its one-time popularity.
My little box / bank looks good on display - but sadly has some condition issues. The image on the top of the box is nice and clean with no scratches, losses or damages. The image remains attractive and clean after nearly 140 years. The wood is still a nice honey colour - there is a spilt along the wood on the base and the wood inside it slightly discoloured. The lock key is missing to the box no longer locks. There is a later piece of black felt on the base - to stop the box from scratching your furniture. But hey! dont let me put you off - you wont find another one easily, and I have taken lots of images for you to assess the condition.
Listed at a fair price, given the popular subject matter and its condition.
It will be sent to you with Royal Mail Recorded postage - this will be applied to your order at the checkout.
HISTORY: Mauchline Wares are Scottish wooden items that date from about the 1880s - until the 1900s. They are generally wooden souvenirs and giftware - made of fruitwood and decorated with black transfer designs. The scenes are usually of landmarks and popular towns - and spots favoured by tourists. They were very popular in their day and many pieces were exported globally.
The centre of the Mauchline Ware industry is the small village of Mauchline - which is located 11 miles inland from the Scottish coastal resort of Ayr. At its peak over 400 people were involved in the manufacture of these small (but always beautifully made) wooden souvenirs. Similar products were also made in Lanark - but most of the pieces are known by the generic name of Mauchline Ware.