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 miniature letter rack. It would have been a sweet little Victorian souvenir that you would have purchased on your travels in Scotland.
This is a three-section letter rack that you would hang onto your wall and pop little letters or memos into. The letter rack has three separate panels on the front - which are attached to batons at each side - and pinned so they can be swung out to allow you to pop your billet-doux into it. I love the shape of the little flaps - and they are each decorated with Scottish images. The bottom one shows Lawers House, Strathearn, the middle one shows Dunira House, Strathearn and the top one shows the village of Comrie. These little letter racks are now harder to find, and my asking price for this is a fair one.
The rack is in good antique condition with a fine patina to the wood outside. There are no cracks or losses to the wood or the images. I have taken lots of images for your inspection. It is a nice one and you wont be disappointed with it.
Measurements: The height of the rack is 8 1/4 inches. The width is 4 inches. I have listed it at a fair price given its lovely condition.
We will post to you with Royal Mail Recorded postage - this will be applied to your order at the checkout.
HISTORY: Mauchline Wares are Scottish wooden items which 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.