A Tasmanian folk art carved blackwood blanket box, early 20th century rectangular, the hinged top with canted edges, the body carved to the front with a waterlily panel, 56.5 x 36 x 35 cm History: the decoration featured on this piece, as well as that featured on the book cabinet, lot 238, was carved by Iza Allison Hilmer-Smith (nee Sprott, 1900-1961), probably between 1920-1930. Iza was the daughter of Dr Gregory Sprott who arrived in Australia in 1896, from Scotland. He went on to become the Chief medical officer of the Royal Hobart Hospital, and the Public Health officer of the Hobart city Council. Both the blanket box and book cabinet have been consigned by descendants of the Iza Hilmer-Smith.
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- Blackwood - One of the best known and most widely used Australian timbers, blackwood (acacia melanoxylon), is a member of the Acacia (wattle) family and grows in eastern Australia from about Adelaide in South Australia, as far north as Cairns in Queensland.
The largest, straightest and tallest trees come from the wet forest and swamps of north-west Tasmania where it is grown commercially.
Blackwood timber colours range across a wide spectrum, from a very pale honey colour through to a dark chocolate with streaks of red tinge.
The hardwood timber has been commonly used in the production of furniture, flooring, and musical instruments in Australia from the late 19th century. However, the straight grain timber is not the most prized or valuable, that honour falls to blackwood with a wavy, fiddleback pattern, which is used both in the solid and as a veneer. Fiddleback was only used on the finest examples of furniture.
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