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A gift to Maud Bourn for her wedding, this Killarneyware box features an image of the ruins of Muckross Abbey, surrounded by inlaid ivy-leaf designs. Killarneyware woodwork became highly popular as tourist souvenirs after Queen Victoria visited the area and was presented with a set of furniture in 1861.Label
After Queen Victoria’s visit in 1861, Killarney became a high-traffic tourist area. This led to the popularization of Killarneyware - woodwork made from Arbutus (strawberry tree), yew, and bog wood. Smaller items, such as this marquetry box, were made as tourist souvenirs, often featuring pyrography (wood burning) designs of the main attractions.
According to a descendant of the Starr family (William Bowers Bourn’s cousin), the box was gifted to Maud Bourn and Arthur Vincent as a wedding gift. The box features a pyrography image of the ruins of Muckross Abbey, a ruined Franciscan friary from the 15th Century, on the Muckross Estate. The image of the Abbey is surrounded by inlaid designs of swirling ivy leaves. This design is also featured on the sides of the box.
