In the southern section of Spain’s Balearic Island of Mallorca, you will find a town by the name of Felanitx. From this provincial town, in the mid-to-late 20th Century, a small business named J. Capo, Esmaltes Garcia sold hand carved wooden caskets and accessories embellished with brightly colored enamel cabochons and lids, a local folk art commodified for the early age of mass tourism. This work evidently found great purchase with island visitors as, with no formal export during its time of manufacture, it can now be found across Northern Europe and the Eastern Seaboard of the United States, where a plurality of Mallorca’s tourists came from.

These unpretentious and cheery boxes exude a playful and rustic charm. While there are certainly some standard forms, after many years of collecting them, it seems apparent that the maker (or indeed, likely makers) followed no plans or rules, as variety and variation is the dominant standard. Vibrant color combinations, patterns and shapes are reliable hallmarks. While these items were never precious for their intrinsic value, it is clear from their diaspora that many visitors took warmly to their simple pleasure, bringing them home as memories of a cheerful holiday on a warm Mediterranean island. It is in this spirit that we offer this small collection of three dozen unique hand cared wood and enamel boxes.