Book Shaped Old Carved Spruce Gum Box wooden ladle via a handy key

via a handy key

and perfect on the counter or near the sink for holding rings or garlic or whatever--or fabulous on the table for olive pits--or caviar

embarrassingly

I would guess 1940s or so as that seems to be when crepe paper dolls were pretty popular

Book Shaped Old Carved Spruce Gum Box wooden ladle via a handy keyIt makes perfect sense that I would have found this one in Maine tagged as a "mystery box" but in fact a spruce gum box. Associated with logging and lumbering activities, spruce gum boxes, also known as gum books, were usually made from a solid piece of wood, as this one was, with a sliding opening at bottom. These were made by lumberman, typically as gifts for loved ones, most dating from 1850 1920, after which improved transportation allowed them to