SHAKESPEARE - MULBERRY TREE BOX An ornately carved mulberry relic box, purportedly made from the wood of the tree planted by William Shakespeare at Stratford, and once belonging to David Garrick, the upper cover carved with an inner panel centred on the coat of arms of the Shakespeare family and trailing mulberry leaves and berries, and a portrait of Shakespeare in the decorated border, the sides in repeated pattern, stamped inside 'Shakespears [sic] Wood. Sharp', later brass hinges, several newspaper cuttings relating to Shakespeare's tree relics pasted on the inside covers, with accompanying nineteenth century provenance note loosely inserted, later brass hinges, and felt on base, 55 x 100 x 180mm., undated; together with a Shakespeare Jubilee Medal, with profile portrait of Shakespeare, and wording 'Jubilee at Stratford in Honour and to the Memory of Shakespeare. Sept. 1769. D.C. Steward' on verso, 32mm. diameter, [Westwood of Birmingham], 1769, sold as association items (2) Footnotes: Provenance: An accompanying note, in a late nineteenth century hand, reads 'This box bears the stamp of Shakespear's wood. Sharp - This box, made of the mulberry tree planted by William Shakespear [sic], belonged to David Garrick the actor, and was presented to him with the freedom of the City of Lichfield. Those who take an interest in Shakespearian relics may consider the death of Mr. Thomas Gibbs of Stratford-Upon-Avon worth a passing notice. Hew was the last surviving assistant of Thomas Sharp of mulberry-tree notoriety; a person who was suspected, but on insufficient evidence, of having sold a large number of suppositious relics as genuine portions of the tree. Sharp died in October 1799, and made a solemn declaration on his death bed to the effect that all the mulberry tree relics sold by him were genuine....'. Thomas Gibbs, mentioned in the note as one of those in Stratford who carved relics from Shakespeare's tree, died aged eighty-four in 1866. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing