In your antiquing travel, you may have seen a small decorative hinged brass box, perforated with small holes. It’s a cricket box, a place to keep your pet cricket. You may have seen crickets at pet stores, but they are not generally sold as pets. They’re more considered reptile chow. To understand the idea of a cricket as a pet, you need to start back in ancient China. Per Wikipedia, the oldest cricket-keeping artifact dates to 960 A.D. Crickets were enjoyed for their song and thought to bring good luck. By the 12th century, cricket fighting also started happening. Crickets were kept and cared for like tiny athletes. Cricket fighting continues to this day, and thankfully it’s no longer a lethal sport.
Decorative brass cricket boxes are a nod to the early days of cricket keeping when royal Chinese women captured and kept crickets in golden cages. I enjoy the sound of crickets in the summer and I like cricket boxes, most of which are from the 1970s when brass imports were a trend, but I don’t see a world where I keep a cricket in a box. I’d be much more likely to keep jewelry in my cricket box. What about you?
Trunk-shaped Brass Cricket Box
Why this is awesome: It’s larger than many cricket boxes and it has lots of holes in a pretty design.
How I would use these: This belongs on the hearth, perhaps holding matches.
Four Vintage Cricket Boxes
Why these are awesome: One is good, but four is even better.
How I would use this: Although it is tempting to use these in the kitchen, they are probably not food safe. So instead, I think I would use them on the vanity. And although I am a fan of patina, I might actually polish and buff these back to gleaming brass for use in the bedroom.
Small round cricket box
Why it’s awesome: Most cricket boxes are ovals or rectangles, this little round one is too cute.
How I would use this: As a presentation box for a nice gift like some handmade earrings.
Enjoy a sweet story, My Parents Are Giving Me Their Cricket Box by Alison Schaffir about the meaning of one particular vintage treasure.
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1 comment
How fun! I am listing a Cricket Keeper today and was googling the story behind them. I will add this link to my listing. 😉 I hope you get lots of traffic from it!