Dark muted tones, faux woodgrain, mallards in flight. The Metal Box Company, England, early postwar.
The Metal Box Company marked this octagonal tin "MB No 33265 Copyright Made in England" — a marking style used from the 1940s to early 1960s. The faux woodgrain finish gives it a masculine, almost architectural quality; the embossed mallards in flight across the lid are crisp and confidently rendered in the muted palette of a hunting print. Interior surprisingly clean and shiny. Several scratches consistent with age, no dents, no discoloration.
A natural for an autumn vignette, a hunting lodge or cabin shelf, a Father's Day gift, or anyone who collects English decorative tins. The kind of tin that looks perfectly at home next to a worn leather chair.
Maker: The Metal Box Co (marked MB No 33265)
Material: Metal tin
Dimensions: 6.25" square · 2.25" tall
Origin: England
Era: 1940s–1960s (estimated)
Condition: Vintage, used — good; several surface scratches consistent with age; no dents; interior clean; please review all photos
