Wonderful Early-Mid 1800s Presumed American Shoe Shaped Box in Red Paint tabletopbarbed wire but only a few traces

but only a few traces on the front

like a poet--or perhaps a therapist

with other things stacked below or on top of it

" but as numerous pages of description and instruction at the beginning of the booklet explains

Wonderful Early-Mid 1800s Presumed American Shoe Shaped Box in Red Paint tabletopbarbed wire but only a few tracesI love a carved shoe, and especially a carved shoe shaped snuff box, but I look at a whole lot of them and mostly let them go. This one though, no way. I purchased it on Ebay from a seller who seemed to have come into a very good small collection of them, all fine antique examples and this is the one I was determined to get. Based on the wood and the manner of the carving and that wonderful red paint, I believe this is American, early mid 19th