Description

A cut piece of lye soap, part of hardware and general store stock c. 1850s-1870s. The entire store inventory was removed to a large residential basement when the building burned – where it sat for well over a century. I am told by a few old timers it was occasionally opened on weekends for basement sales of hardware in the last few decades but large quantities of new old stock were still evident when the last local descendant died a few years ago. I rescued a small quantity of the hand cut soap wrapped in paper inside a crate when the estate was sold at auction. Clearly hand made, likely by some citizen for re-sale in the store. Several fine family named soldiers artifacts and other CW era items were also obtained in the sale which are now in museums and private collections. While the named officer’s field desk and personal manuals were very nice and we were honored to place them, as weird as it may sound to many, this is the real diamond in the rough in this old soldier’s opinion! Discolored with age and wrinkled with drying shrinkage. A rare consumable item with incredible displayable character. You simply cannot duplicate this kind of genuine age and patina for display. A good solid chunk.