French Prisoner of War Jewelry Box C.1800

9 3/4" x 5 3/8" base with mahogany body enclosing red crushed satin compartment with a red roped edge. Hinged lid with mirror secured with red rope trim. The entire domed lid, inner, compartment edges, and base delicately overlaid in fine straw work in a variety of bands incorporating red and black pigments. A few minor defects along the bottom edge and the sides of the hinged top slightly separating. Straw wood and bone work such as this were created at Norman Cross Camp, Peterborough England between 1797 and 1815 which was created for the incarceration of French prisoners of the Napoleonic Wars. Objects created from bedding, food waste, and other found materials were sold to enable the prisoners to purchase luxury goods such as tobacco and food. Few, other than the highly prized ship models are of this size and the use of large pieces of mahogany is quite rare.