DARK ENGINE, Very Excellent Old Handcut Brass Stencil painted cubes 6 3/4" tall x 5

6 3/4" tall x 5 " (leg to leg) x 4 1/4" from end of handle to bracket

-- evidently before the company had begun cultivating its wholesome image

and the black and brown border around the lid

but the ends are flush and square

19th century New England I believe with its original paint

DARK ENGINE, Very Excellent Old Handcut Brass Stencil painted cubes 6 3/4" tall x 5Six months ago or so, I found the counterpoint stencil to this one GOLDEN ENGINE in the Hudson River Valley; this week I returned to the same shop and found DARK ENGINE waiting for me! As before, the dealer noted that this had come from a prominent area collection, from which I guess they are doling out one stencil at a time. Before I imagined that Golden Engine had been used to stencil the hood or maybe the sides of a race car many years ago, and