This gorgeous little Swedish bentwood box is known as a vepa box. A Swedish vepa box, or svepast, is a type of bentwood box that is traditionally made from thin, steam-bent wood that is laced together with tree roots, usually birch. Bentwood boxes have a long history. Many different cultures have made their own unique versions of them. In Norway, examples of these boxes, called tine boxes, have been unearthed in the remains of Viking ships dating from 840 A.D. They were used to store valuable possessions, grains, meat, or anything else that might need to be secure. This little beauty is about 7.5 x 4.5 x 3 inches and is in good, antique condition. Circa 1800s.