W. J. Neatby, Attributed – Arts and Crafts Oak Coal Box with Stylized Handles
£1,800
This coal box in oak sits within the Arts and Crafts (1880–1910) tradition, c.1900, British. Arched side cheeks rise into paired carrying handles pierced with round grips. A bevelled fall-front sits neatly within a slim frame, the base stepping forward in a shallow platform that lifts the body at the hearth and keeps the outline crisp.
The construction is plain and purposeful, thick boards cut to a clean profile, edges kept sharp, the door framed to hold its shape. What carries the design is the silhouette, read in one sweep, the arch running up into the handles and resolved by the two roundels that serve as grips and punctuation. It is a confident, geometric language, economical and direct.
Neatby favoured clear profiles, circular piercings used as functional notes, and a disciplined geometry that lets the shape do the work. This box speaks that dialect, translating the movement’s honesty of material and making into a robust, everyday fireside
Width: 17.52 in (44.5 cm)
Depth: 17.91 in (45.5 cm)
1910-1919
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