What a great chicken crate that is clean and ready to use as a "Make ~ Do" Buttery or even a small table. This piece is versatile and can easily be worked into your primitive home with many unique decorating possibilities! The corn husk gourd Garland hanging on the cupboard door is included and so is the light inside set on the top shelf! The other items were used for display purposes to give you an idea of the inside space. The heavy gauge wire done in a square pattern on all the sides as well as the top and the bottom allows light to shine through with charming results especially during the evening hours!
I purchased this crate and added a top shelf fashioned from old wood that is very close in color to the rest of the crate. There are three pieces of wood that fit snugly together and can be removed at will. Two supports also fashioned from old wood allow the shelf to stay in place. The middle piece of wood is actually a diagonal split from the piece that lays just to the right as shown in image 2. When laid flat this piece adds interest even though there is a visible crack.
In regards to the bottom area, three slats of wood run vertically alongside the open wire sections for a great effect! One of the slats has a crack in it as pictured in images 3 & 4 however the crack does not go all the way to the back and is still sturdy. This area can also be used as a shelf but there will be a 1/4" recessed gap, a drop if you will, where the wire is located. You can certainly use larger pieces such as bowls or a breadboard to remedy this situation.
The surface wear on this crate is just as "right as rain" with random color variations in the wood sporting a bleached white and a darker tone that effectively blend well. If you like dry attic finish this piece is just for you because of the rural intrinsic value that evokes farm life.
Round head nails were used and the wood surrounding these areas does have appropriate nail bleed. There is also a tag on the front door that reads, G E Wingard ~ Gen Del ~ Apollo PA referenced in image 20. The chickens may have been transported in this crate to Wingard back in the day and the tag may have been used to identify the buyers name and location.
What I find so special about this crate is the way the hardware was hand fashioned from scraps of tin. The hasp on the door as shown in images 11 & 12, is probably one of a kind. The triangular piece of tin on the right side of the door, with a raised circle design, mimics the shaker buckets side "hardware" if you will. On these Shaker buckets the wire handle would come directly out of the metal triangle center. The metal vertical pin located in the center can be positioned to line up with the cut out slot on the tab to secure the door, in a down position.
Image 14 reflects a door hinge with a partial "S" shaped design on the left with the reverse effect done on the right. The large metal hand cut tabs shown on each of the four corners are secured by four nails which is another custom accent that the tinsmith created as shown in images 16 & 17. These interesting features lend so much overall character to this crate, that you can tell it was very well made with attention to detail, held in high regard.
The door was fashioned from two pieces of wood and there are three battens on the back to secure it. The wood separation at the top acts as a perfect place to hang the little gourd creation I made, comprised of four gourds, that fits in nicely with the chicken theme. Why… because chickens love to eat corn! The string just slips over this area and there you have it,…instant charm for this "Buttery"!
Images 21 & 22 show this crate lit in the evening casting light through the wire and also on the top shelf so you can appreciate your collections inside. This light was wrapped in cheesecloth, at the wooden base which is painted a nice barn red and accented with a spray of sweet Annie. You can easily remove the cheesecloth if you wish. It does not have an on and off switch, on the cord however, if you want to turn the light off just turn the bulb counter clock wise.
I am sure you will have fun decorating this unusual crate that can either be used in the kitchen as a Buttery, on a porch as a table filled with a couple of folk art chickens or you can also hang this crate. There is a round, sort of eye hook, in the front and you could certainly add one to the back if you choose to hang this piece! Enjoy!
The crate stands 23 1/2" Tall, 12 1/4" across the front, with the door closed, (34 1/2" with the door extended fully), 15 3/4" Deep. Inside measurements for the top shelf are 11 1/2" across (Left to Right), 14 1/2" Deep & 8 1/2" Tall. The bottom shelf inside measurements are 11" across (Left to Right), 14 3/4" Deep & 12 1/2" from bottom slat to top of wooden support. **Note: You will gain about 3/4 of an inch if you place tall items in the middle, after clearing the 3/4" thick support. The light measures 7 1/2" tall including the silicone bulb tip & 2 1/4" across the bottom wooden base. The corn husk gourd garland measures 7 1/2" Tall & 6" across @ the widest point.
