A WRITING box and a serving set dating back to the 1800s are among a collection of ‘treasures’ held by Ebenezer’s Bob Weir.
The small timber writing box hand crafted out of wood with decorations using ivory. On the outer part of the box are echidna quills that have been pieced together carefully keeping the colours of the quills in a pattern.
“There is quite a lot of detail that has been put into the box,” says Bob, “with the addition of little drawers, a well for the ink, animal statues and a holder for a quill or a pen.
“My guess is that this box would sit on a desk, to be used for writing purposes in an office.
“I really like the echidna quills, they make this piece very special because you do not often see material like this used and the way that they have been arranged is really beautiful.”
The serving tray has six small drinking cups and a pouring jug.
Bob said that it is unique because of the patterns and because of the small spout and the jug’s thin handle.
“This set has been in the family for some time, the decorative details seem to be hand designed, it is outstanding and would have taken some time,” Bob says.
“You just do not see items like these made too much anymore.
“They are small pieces of history in a time when most things were often handmade and I thought it would be interesting to share them.”
