Victorian Gilt, Mother-of-Pearl Inlaid Papier-Mâché Sewing Stand, Ex Christie's

Victorian English bird's eye maple lap desk, with ebony and mother-of-pearl inlay. The dome shaped top has a brass shield medallion in the center. The interior has a vibrant purple f...

[English Gentlemen], from Vanity Fair twelve chromolithographs, on wove papers. Printed by Vincent Brooks Day & Son., with various dates from 1875 to 1897. Eight are by Spy, two are by Ape, one by "T" and one by Lib. Professionally framed with black and gilt frames and beige silk mats, with margins, apparently in excellent condition, not examined out of the frames. Titles comprise: "Accrington", June 11, 1892, "Newcastle Upon Tyne" July 18, 1893, "A New Peer", October 5, 1878, "South Bucks", June 4, 1896, "South Kensington", September 2, 1897, "Lord Salisbury's Manners", July 13, 1893, "The Blister", August 4, 1888, "A Postmaster General", April 30, 1892, "Sir James Miller", September 6, 1890, "Sol", October 28, 1897, "A Young Man" September 11, 1875, and "A Naturalist", September 9, 1882. Vanity Fair was a weekly magazine published in London, founded & edited by Thomas Gibson Bowles. His aim was to expose to contemporary vanities of Victorian society. From 1868 to 1914, full page colour lithographs appeared in most weekly issues, frequently lampooning or lauding their subjects which included artists, athletes, royalty, politicians, scientists, authors, actors, sportsmen, lawyers, diplomats, soldiers, clergy, scholars and other celebrities of the day - mostly British, but also many other internationally significant personalities. Over 2,300 of these colour cartoons were printed, and they are considered the chief cultural legacy of the magazine, forming a pictorial record of many of the most significant public figures of the period. They are renowned throughout the world and highly collectible and recognisable. Famous artists contributed to Vanity Fair, typically under pen names. The best remembered today is Leslie Ward (1851-1922), who signed his works as "Spy", and whose caricatures account for well over half of those featured in Vanity Fair. So famous have these fabulous prints become, Vanity Fair caricatures today often are referred to simply as "Spy Cartoons...

19th c. Charming antique miniature chest of drawers. The chest has a marble top. The case is figured mahogany, with four stacked drawers, the ...

c.1800, England, Regency brass inlaid rosewood lap desk in the manner of George Bullock. Rectangular box with double-hinged lid, opening to tooled navy leather and gold embossed writ...

1905, England, Unusual and striking Edwardian letter box with leather sides. The curved top and base are mounted with scrolling sterling silver. T...

21st c., three artisan crafted small organic form jewelry boxes. One is a Rewarewa wood box with pine handle. The second is in Elm with am Elm handle. The smaller box is made of Aust...

Victorian mother of pearl inlaid papier mâché box on stand, the multi-shaped edge black lacquered box with mother of pear...

An old Japanese lacquered small box likely used to contain incense powder called Kobako, circa Momoyama to early Edo period (16-17th century). The rectangular form box with a fitted ...

A set of 3 antique Korean paper mache sewing boxes from the Choson period.

A large lacquer Ryoshibako (Paper box in Japanese) finely decorated with Maki-e circa 17th century early Edo period. The box is of an impressive size and was used to store paper documents. Both sides of the lid were elaborately decorated with maki-e and the edge was befitted with lead rim, an early practice before the silver rim became common later. The interior and base were finished in Nashiji. The night scene on top surface of the lid depicts flocks of chidoris flying in formation from a sea shore swaying with reeds under a full moon, using hiramaki-e in both gold and silver. Ribbons of clouds were achieved with different densities of gold powder. The underside, in contrast, shows a crescent moon in takamakie-e above the sea with ferns and reeds. Chidoris, the plovers, are symbolic in Japanese culture as "thousands of blessings" and longevity. The Namichidori, the pattern in which the chidori flies in the nami (wave) represents the eternal love and safety of couples and families. For detailed references on the historical background and the use of chidoris on lacquerware, see the reference below. This very lacquer box was featured for sale as lot 339 in Christie's London Sale Japanese Art...

English Victorian papier mache pearl inlaid rectangular shaped box with oval shaped center.  

English Victorian papier mache pearl inlaid box with scalloped and floral painted top.