With a touch of alarm, we noted that yesterday marked the three month mark before Christmas. And, as surely as Christmas will come, Boxing Day will follow 24 hours later. Boxing Day is widely celebrated in Britain and much of the Commonwealth. It is the day after Christmas, originally recognized as the day-off for the servants (back when people had servants—who were expected to serve their employers on Christmas Day). Boxing Day was a festive occasion, when servants would receive a box—their Christmas gift—from their masters and mistresses.
The box above, made by Hickok in the Art Deco Thirties, is cast of marbled Bakelite—an early, heat resistant plastic. Bakelite was invented in 1907 in Yonkers, New York, by Belgian immigrant, Leo Baekeland. This history includes three points of special interest to me: first, 1907 is also the year my house was built; second, I once lived in Yonkers, New York, assigned as "Senior Store Manager" at the "Yonkers Super Gap" on Central Avenue; and third, the inventor's name, Leo, has always held particular significance for me and my business (LEO Design). This handsome box includes a moulded bas relief sculpture of a stag and a doe. It's the right size for holding a small collection of cufflinks, shirt collar stays, or anything else you might wish to keep (discreetly) upon the nightstand. Click on the photo above to learn more about this interesting piece.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Pittsburgh's historic "Strip District" at Mahla & Co. Antiques (www.mahlaantiques.com) or in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248