A wonderfully evocative little collection of antique cabinetmaker's steel squares, each bearing the marks of its maker and the unmistakable character of a tool that has spent a working life in the hands of a craftsman.

Dating approximately to the late Victorian or Edwardian period, these beautifully simple instruments would have been indispensable in the traditional cabinetmaker's workshop, used to establish and check precise right angles in the making of fine furniture and joinery.

The collection comprises three graduated steel squares, each with its own individual maker's stamp, housed together in a charming old wooden box with a sliding lid. Remnants of an early printed trade label survive on the timber, lending the whole a particularly appealing sense of history.

There is something rather wonderful about these modest instruments, the very tools upon which generations of furniture makers relied to produce the beautifully constructed pieces we so admire today. One can easily imagine them tucked into the drawers of a Victorian cabinetmaker's workbench, brought out time and again in the making of furniture destined to outlive its maker.

The steel has acquired a lovely mellow patination, with surface wear and gentle oxidation from decades of use. The wooden box is similarly full of character, its darkened timber and softened edges bearing witness to its age.

A delightful little piece of cabinetmaking history, particularly appealing to collectors of antique furniture, lovers of traditional craftsmanship or anyone who appreciates the artistry of the old workshop.

Date: Late Victorian to Edwardian, c.1880–1910 (attributed).

Materials: Steel and wood.

Condition: Good antique condition, with age-related wear, oxidation and patination throughout. The wooden box retains remnants of an old printed label. The squares have not been tested for precision.