Please help identify this item

[Cathy webster]

purchased in Massachusetts, about 14” long, 4” wide and deep.

It is a box with these holes along the top

the holes go thru the top piece of wood, but not the bottom

[katherina martindale]

could it be an old bee house?

[Molly]

Could you take a couple more pictures from different angles?  It sort of looks like an old display for...pens, lollipops, etc?  Then, the larger, closer together holes on the one side....hmmmm.

[Michael]

Reminds me of a old style cribbage board.

Antique Cribbage Board

[Molly]

I was thinking of the game board, myself...but, like I mentioned, the way that one row is closer and the holes are bigger, threw me off.   Looking at your example, however, and not knowing how Cribbage is played, maybe it could be a homemade version?  It does have the five rows.

[Cathy webster]

One thing I forgot to mention, the row to the far right holes do not go through the board. They are shallow rounded out 1/2 circles...I don’t think it is a game board.

[Michael]

I'm not saying for certain it is a playing board, much less certain a cribbage board, only that was my first thought, as I grew up playing a vast array of games from all over the world.  Many had game boards/blocks made of woods in varying configurations.

In a cribbage board, there can be many variations on the number of holes, but they would always be an even number, then the alternative design of holes would be used for marking the number of rounds/wins.  Scoring is tallied throughout a hand, hence the numerous sets of holes, much like a race track, each player will progress through their lane of scoring until the hand ends, then the round marker is advanced and the scoring markers start at the beginning once again.

It is fine for the holes to go through and the other holes not to as it stops the players advancing their scoring 'peg' into the rounds marker section.

Many older boards were little more than what you have, without the modern day take on the curving design with printed lines and colours.

Although there are many boards with a similar number of holes, it is not proof one way or the other as to it being a cribbage board, as there is not a defined number of holes required for cribbage, as such, over the years many boards have been made with varying number of holes.

As for workshop tool holder, I know in my workshop my drill bit holes vary in diameter as per the shaft of the bit I wish to insert.  However, router bits all have the same diameter shaft, but I don't think it's for those either because they commonly require greater spacing due to the widely varying widths of their cutting heads.

You called your item a box, could we see a/some photo(s) inside it?

[Cathy webster]

It is a sealed box,no way to open it...

[Molly]

[Molly]

[Molly]

I am back to my original thought of display case.  Drill bits, pencils, small desk or office tools, etc.

[Michael]

Hi Cathy

In the interest of offering alternative suggestions.  I saw this online, it is a Bendwood Jig.  A simple slab of wood with many holes, into which dowel pegs are placed allowing strips of wood to be bent to specific curved shapes.

Bendwood Jigs can come in any size.

One specific reason I can think of which implies to me that your item is NOT a Bendwood Jig is the series of half-drilled holes. I think they would serve a specifically different purpose to the holes drilled all the way through.

[Jackie]

I had the same perspective as Michael, but before I saw his post.

the bigger the holes the heavier the wood that can be bent.  Bend wood for ANY type of woodworking: boats musical instruments....anything that needs bending