The identity of the Maria Kriebel whose name is inscribed on this small document box has not been determined, but she was probably a member of the Schwenkfelder sect that settled in southeastern Pennsylvania in the eighteenth century to avoid religious persecution in Europe. The Schwenkfelders did not produce the exuberant painted furniture and interiors associated with Pennsylvania German culture. However, they created especially beautiful fraktur writings and drawings. The exquisite tulip, leaf, and swag designs painted on the exterior of this box are highly reminiscent of the colorful and skilled designs that adorn their fraktur.