by [unknown]
Confectionary Box (with Krampus)
circa 1919 (?)
A sweetly disconcerting twist slithers its way beneath the leather skin of this boxed bonbonnière. Whether it be a savoury selection of dark chocolates or candied fruits, pairing an irresistible delicacy with the image of a monocled, observant Krampus draws out a cautionary sense of doubt from those whose fingers may have lingered too near its red lid. Devilishly devious, Krampus’ entire being is meant to thrill and terrify naughty mischief-makers and wrong-doers; each December he preys on them, taking the place of Saint Nicholas and ‘gifting’ each and every one with a set of sneaky, character-forming lessons. It is therefore a wise and wonderful measure of design to combine the paradoxical elements of ‘nice’ and ‘naughty’ into one, creating for this object d’art an alluring candour of mischievousness that has the ability to attract even the most obedient of sweet-tooths.
