Rare 19th-Century Coopered Dairy Tub

From the rolling hills of the Shenandoah Valley comes a remarkable piece of American household history. This small coopered tub, robustly constructed and originally painted in classic iron-oxide red, was sourced from a recent estate sale deep in Virginia’s pastoral countryside — where it likely served in daily dairy work at a family homestead. The form and finish tell a story of sustained use: a hand-made working vessel designed for liquid and semi-solid food handling, with a cross-braced underside to resist warping and interior paint preserved from decades of use.
 
Crafted with traditional staves and pegged hoops, this tub was purpose-built for utility on a farm or in a kitchen. The interior shows authentic age and wear consistent with holding cream or curds, and the exterior’s multiple layers of paint — red over earlier green — speak to generations of service and careful maintenance.
 
Quick Facts:
• Country of Origin: United States
• Region: Possibly the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia
• Material: Coopered wood with early painted surface
• Condition: Good structural integrity; age-appropriate wear and patina; no later restoration