We’re going back to April when I first took these pictures and started this post-draft. You see, my birthday is in April and, even though I just turned 46, I still celebrate my birthday like I did as a teenager. It’s not just my birthday, but my birthday month which means I can splurge on a few things and buy goodies I happen to come across in very specific searches on Etsy. It means treats, gifts, cards, and well-wishes are welcomed the entire month of April. I’ve already shared a few things I bought with my birthday money or received for my birthday as well as some treats I bought for myself, but there are two more things I haven’t shared yet. I found both of them at the end of March and bought them in anticipation of my birthday month. They are both antique art supplies, which probably doesn’t surprise anyone.
One is a fabulous watercolor box that was likely used in a shop to store “Moist Devoe Watercolors” that were for sale. I had actually never heard of Devoe Watercolors, so I had to do a bit of research. I learned they are one of the oldest paint manufacturers in the US and started making paint in 1754. From that original Manhattan-based business, Devoe & Raynolds Co. was founded in 1892. Based on other Devoe products I found online, my display box is likely from the 1920s.
Typically, boxes like this are pretty expensive, ranging from $600-1200, but I bought mine for a fraction of that. I actually had to read the listing on eBay a few times to make sure it was really an antique watercolor box and not a reproduction.
And it is a fantastic piece. The drawers are perfect for storing little art supply bits and it’s in great condition.
I haven’t filled the drawers, yet, but I might put pastels in them. I have a small case for pastels, but it isn’t anywhere near as cool as this!
I also found an antique watercolor box for a great price. Since I bought my first one a few years ago, the price of these has skyrocketed! My first couple of boxes were around $150/each with shipping and, since then, even empty boxes with missing parts in poor condition are commanding prices double that. This one was back in the sensible price range and it had the original palette, water cup, and some of the paint cakes, so I snapped it up.
It’s a Reeves & Sons box from England that would’ve likely been made for and used by either children or an amateur adult painter. Some of the cakes may be replacements or the user didn’t fancy orange, pink, and yellow ochre! As with most painters, they wore the white down to a nub.
I haven’t made swatches of the paint colors, yet, but I will. I always like making swatch cards for paints left in antique watercolor boxes just to test them out and see the quality of the pigments. It’s also just fun to play with them and imagine who might’ve used them before me.
Some of the color labels are even still legible…
It was a sweet addition to my collection of antique art supplies. Both boxes were.
While I feel pretty content with my collection, I can’t help but look and see what boxes and other supplies surface now and then. I’ll browse through Etsy and eBay to see if there is something I can’t resist. But, I’m a little more persistent about it during my birthday month (and the weeks preceding it!)
You can find more about my antique art supplies HERE.
7 Responses
I just lost a dear friend who insisted we celebrate our birthdays for a month so we did. Enjoy your treasures. You find the loveliest treasures.
I celebrate my birthday month…and, ahem, I’m a couple decades older than you! Every day is precious and meaningful….even if it means that “ordinary” things are getting accomplished….
Oh!!! That Devoe box is a treasure for sure. LOVE IT!!!!
Great find. I celebrate my birthday month also. It is February ….so I always say, “I get cheated out of a few days!!” AND everyone says…”we are done!!! over it!!!”
My Birthday is in April too! (18th) I always think of April as MY month! The whole month, but I’m happy to share it with you Marion xx
I know nothing about this, but have you ever looked into the safety of antique pigments? Are there precautions you take? I don’t know about watercolors, but I have had trouble finding information about this type of thing for even modern oil paints. For instance when I was pregnant I couldn’t find ANYTHING about whether modern oil paints are toxic, and just played it safe and didn’t do any oil painting while I was pregnant. Curious if there are resources you have found and would be able to share.
Great question! Based on the research I’ve done, it’s generally the specific pigment that is toxic and not the oil used in oil paint, so even watercolors and acrylics can be toxic based on the pigment used. Cadmium and lead are a couple of the more common toxic pigments although lead isn’t used as much anymore and you can find cadmium-free replacements. The main hazard with these toxic pigments, though, is when they are in powdered form and can be inhaled. I don’t work with any antique pigments in powdered form (I have some in jars that I don’t open), but I will use antique watercolors since they are mixed with binders. I’ll also wear gloves if I’m working with lead or cadmium to minimize getting it on my skin. That’s just a precaution I like to take because I’m a messy painter, but I’ve painted plenty of times with gloves off. I hope that helps!
Wonderful finds and additions to your collection! I’ve always had an affinity for wooden boxes, though nothing I have collected has much dollar value. My most treasured ones are first, a box my grandmother wood-burned as a young girl. With a victorian lady on the lid, and her initials inside the lid, and the other is a thin, lidded box. As a young girl, I watched my father repair it with screws (not a pretty look) and when I asked why he didn’t just discard it, he replied that his father had made it. It used to hold his carving tools, but now it has a place of honor in my studio , holding tubes of acrylic paint. I learned a valuable lesson that day.