English arrow box
Thomas Aldred
England
1850
Painted wood
Gift from the Friends of the Museum, 2008
Inv. 2009.2.1-7
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This box still contains six of its twelve original arrows. They all carry the name of the London maker Thomas Aldred and are numbered. The three arrows that have the reference 4*6 are decorated with painted flower motifs and have the numbers I, IV and X. The three arrows with the reference 4*0 are less elaborate and carry the numbers V, IX and XII.
The box itself is decorated: painted in green, its lid shows a view of a medieval fortified castle surrounded by trees. The lid is kept closed by a small hook. A metal handle helps to transport it.
On the back of the box, an inscription specifies the owner’s name, Merick, as well as his address: Boyne Hill in Maidenhead, a town in Berkshire, England.
One of the most famous 19th century bow makers in London, Aldred is, at the time, one of the largest suppliers of European courts. This box and its content certainly echo an aristocratic recreational practice.
