February’s item of the month is an exceptional New Zealand dome top glove box, circa 1900, by William Seuffert, unlabelled, inlaid with flowering Manuka stems.
Reference: Peet (B.): The Seuffert Legacy, New Zealand Colonial Master Craftsmen, The craft of Anton Seuffert & his sons William, Albert & Carl; particularly pages 137 & 138.
There are several notable features of this box which confirm an attribution to William Seuffert; in particular, the use of Manuka flowers and the square bottomed bone escutcheon.
Manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) is native to New Zealand.