History

Cribbage is a card game with a long and colorful history. Sir John Aubrey, the 17th century archeologist and folklorist, attributes the creation of cribbage to Sir John Suckling. Suckling, a poet and a soldier, was regarded as the most skillful card player in Europe at the time.   Suckling derived Cribbage from Noddy, an English card game that had been popular in the previous century. In the language of the day, noddy referred to a fool or dunce. Within the game it is the name for the jack of the suit that is turned up at the beginning of...

Wooden boxes are so common; most people don’t give much thought as to their uses. For hundreds of years, wooden boxes have been go-to containers, widely available to most people. The wealthy could invest in the artisan work needed to produce brass or iron boxes, but anyone with a saw and a few nails could make a wooden box.   Hardwood boxes were strong and sturdy, suitable for all types of travels. Almost every child has heard tall tales of pirates burying treasure in wooden chests. Whether those stories are true is up for debate, but wooden boxes were used aboard ships...

Throughout history, jewelry boxes were handcrafted luxuries that only the wealthy could afford. Artisans created boxes for royal households, members of the clergy, and other affluent patrons who loved using them to store their valuable jewelry. Often the boxes were works of art in their own right, inlayed with precious gemstones and metals, as they needed to be worthy of the elite who would own them.   Today, jewelry boxes are available online and in almost every department store. These easily found boxes are fairly standard, made of wood or plastics, and come in almost every design and color. However...

The creation of puzzle boxes originated in the Hakone region of Japan in the 1800’s. These boxes were originally created for workers who needed to safeguard their tools. Each box required a set of twists and turns to open. The trick was to determine the correct set of movements to open a specific box.   In the 1800’s Hakone was known for its hot springs. Many people visited the region for vacations and the tourism industry flourished. Puzzle boxes began to become popular as souvenirs. This continued through the World Wars, when soldiers on leave would purchase boxes to bring...

Box History   Throughout history, jewelry boxes were handcrafted luxuries that only the wealthy could afford with artisans creating boxes for royal households, members of the clergy, and other affluent patrons. Some areas became known for the expertise of their artists, such as the enamel painting of Limoges, France. Often the boxes were works of art in their own right, inlayed with precious gemstones and metals.   The Industrial Revolution changed all of that. For the first time, jewelry boxes could be made by machine. This allowed for mass-production of different styles, and a price that was affordable for the...