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 honey-toned wooden table or desk top letter rack. It would have been a popular Victorian souvenir that you would have purchased on your travels in Scotland.
My letter rack is a larger one - and would be good for holding letters, postcards or receipts in or indeed sheets of writing papers in preparation for messaging your friends and relatives. It is made of honey-colour wood and is made of a more simple construaction. Two sides to contain the paper in and a base-stand.
The image shows a view from Chapel Hill over the town of Rothesay towards the harbour. This viewpoint was a most popular one and was often included on Mauchline wares and was also popular with celebrated Victorian photographers such as James Valentine and George Washington Wilson.
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.
Measurements: The height of the rack is 4 inches. The width is 5 1/4 inches. The depth is 2 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.