This is a 19thC Shaker (possibly Shaker) Small Bail Handle Pail in Windsor Green milk paint. I believe these date to the last quarter of the 19thC or possibly earlier and may have been for children or for berries.

The pail has the diamond shaped bail mounts to each side and the metal bands around it typical of what the Shakers did. The Shakers did make very small pails with the diamond shaped bail mounts. The wire bail handle has the wooden bail handle in worn black paint and the metal bands may have been painted a black wash long ago.

Part of the interior base has dried and broken/worn away over time. At one time I believe the pail must come apart from age shrinking to the wood and all the staves have been glue reinforced where they meet as well as the metal band to keep it from drying and falling apart. It is possible that the staves were not placed back in the same original order.

The wooden pail measures 7 inches tall including the handle, 4 1/2" tall at the sides and the diameter is 5 1/2". The Windsor green milk Paint is not the original paint but is very old and has been on there for a long time. The painted surface is nice and dry and dull. There may be a white or light gray underneath the Windsor green milk paint.

The pail is a little cutie and would look great displayed on a shelf.