Help with Karelian Box?

[Forum Admin]

I just found a charming Karelian cheeroot case, with the etching of a mid 19th century train, a minor nobles coronet and a few words, I can't read what it says. Can any of you Russian experts help me? I've put up the box itself and as close as I can make out the Russian words on it.

[hikaru]

I does not seem like russian . Sorry . Or it is child's notes
It is  "vyzhiganie" techololgy,
children in the beginning of the 20th century liked to do it.
What is the size of the box?
Was it for jewels, for tea or for letters or was it A4 size?
(because first ABC of this  seems like notny - e.i. note music)

[Forum Admin]

The handwriting in white is my poor attempt at transcribing what is on the box itself. The box is half the size you see in the picture above and it is for small cigars or cigarettes. Here is a closeup and I have traced the letters to make them stand out more. Again, the slightly shaky look is from my unsteady hand with the mouse in Photoshop. Does this look like anything possible?

[David_Pritchard]

Obviously, the script M was put on by a professional as was the coronet which to me looks more like a coronet of an untitles German noble (five slightly raised pearls on a band) rather than that of a Russian noble (two pearls between three leaves).

I have spent quite a bit of time looking at a chart of Russian script letters and I cannot be certain that two of the letters are what I think they are supposed to be.

David

[Forum Admin]

David,
My initial thought was the crown was a Russian Baron's crown, but that has six, not five pearls. I agree that the M and crown are excellent work, and the train itself is charming. The words in question are scratched in the surface, but not colored in like the rest. It also looks like someone tried to scrape the words out afterwards.  Am beginning to suspect that some child got a hold of the box and tried to engrave something under the "M" as a prank.

Nonetheless, I just fell in love with the railroad scene. Never saw anything quite like it before.

Rob

[David_Pritchard]

I used to live near the Pervomaiskaya Metro station so I was a regular at the Izmailovsky Park fleamarket two stops away. I have seen scenes like yours on Karelian birch boxes. They are not common but they are around.

Actually the coronet for a Russian baron was a simple band wraped with pearls like those used in French heraldry prior to the 1789 Revolution. I think that it is a simple coronet for an untitled Russian noble. I agree with you regarding the scratched writing, it looks like a child did it.

How is the box hinged? By brass pins or by finely cut dovetails?

David

[Forum Admin]

It is not hinged. The top part, with the coronet, slides off the bottom part, with the train. The inside edge of the bottom fits inside the top. Like a modern day cigar case. It is a flattened oval shape in cross section. The whole is carved from solid Karelian birch, around the middle of the edge of the whole box is a band of mahogony (?) veneer (a few small losses here). Is 6 inches  long by 3 wide and 1.5 deep (approx measurements).

[hikaru]

Maybe  it is some kind of "Popni Menya"
(Remember me) or
"Ot ......" wrote by latin shrift?

[kraf_von_Wissel]

Hello admin

I m trying to help you and my russian friend is trying ti understund what is written on your box.

We discovered, that its defenetly 2 words and first one is "NAM"  it means in russian "for us". childs hand or "unprofessional" hand probably scrached letter A and it looks like O.

V.A.v.W