This beautiful and enormously practical watercolour box was made during the 1940s or 50s I believe. 
 
It is for the want of a better word the king of the Scholastic range boxes and would have been expensive at the time. 
The Scholastic range was justly popular in that the paints were and are very good with a high pigment load. At least the ones I formally tested were. 
 
The pans that they are in are I’m sure are Bakelite which as you know is an early type of plastic and really quite tough. 
This means that when the paints are used up the pans can be filled with tube paints in colours of your choice. So if you wish this box will last all of your painting life. 
 
The paints here are original and with much life left as you can see. 
The box also has a ceramic palette who’s only real fault is a bit of staining!
 
There are two circular ceramic palettes also. The box labels are also really quite good. 
 
There are no splits or cracks in the wood of the box and it remains very sturdy. 
 
The tray that hold the paints, palettes etc actually lifts out which makes its use very convenient. 
 
Winsor and Newton have always been very clever and sensitive to the needs of artists and it shows in this box. The hinges work exactly as they should. 
 
This box is neither very heavy or very large and could easily be used in the studio or outdoors. 
 
It is as said a lovely and practical box. 
Approx, 28.5 x 18.5 x 4 cm