This lidded container is an example of "Peaseware" made in the Cascade Valley of northeastern Ohio in the late 19th century. In 1850, David Mills Pease (1815-1890) founded a woodturning business that specialized in producing wooden containers for practical daily use. Many of the vessels were used for the safe storage of food, including herbs, mustard and other seeds, salt, pepper, and maple sugar chunks. Bail handles, as in this example, eased the burden of carrying one or more full containers. The container was once part of the folk art collection of Elie Nadelman (1882-1946), the avant-garde sculptor. From 1924 to 1934, Nadelman's collection was displayed in his Museum of Folk Arts, located in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. The Historical Society purchased Nadelman's entire collection in 1937.