French Boulle Boxes Opposing Pair Napoleon III
Located in Northampton, GB
Various figures and motifs can be seen on the exterior with butterflies, dragons, monkeys playing violin and classical scenes including a central jester to the lid. The French Boull...
Brass
Napoleon III Boulle style box
Located in MILL, NL
A small box featuring the distinctive red-and-brass inlay known as Boulle marquetry, named after the 17th-century French cabinetmaker André-Charles Boulle. The decorative surface fe...
Brass
Antique French Napoleon III Boulle Marquetry Brass Tortoiseshell Keepsake Box 13
Located in Dayton, OH
Antique 19th century Napoleon III era French Marquetry Boulle box. Red and black tortoiseshell with foliate brass inlay.
Brass
19th Century French Napoleon III / Boulle Box
Located in Vilnius, LT
Antique French Napoleon III box with inlaid bronze decor, polished black color surface and red velour textile inside. Includes key. After the renovation - very good condition.
Bronze
Large Antique French Boulle Napoleon III Marquetry Box
By Audige
Located in Vilnius, LT
Antique 19th century French Boulle/Napoleon III marquetry box. The wooden box is decorated with inlaid brass and tortoiseshell and red silk textile inside.
Brass
French Napoléon III Black Lacquer Box with Boulle-Style Cartouche
Located in LA CIOTAT, FR
This exquisite French Napoléon III black lacquer box is a fine 19th-century desk accessory distinguished by its elegant proportions and Boulle-style decorative cartouche.
Brass
French Napoleon III Boulle Tea Caddy
Located in Northampton, GB
Single Tea Caddy Compartment From our Tea Caddy collection, we are delighted to bring to market this Antique French Boulle Tea Caddy. The Tea Caddy of square shape with slight bombe...
Bronze, Ormolu
$1,000Sale Price|20% Off
Unusual 18th Century French Boulle & Brass Inlaid Snuff Box w/ Candleholder
Located in Atlanta, GA
This diminutive yet opulent 18th or 19th-century French snuff box exemplifies the Boulle-style, renowned for its intricate gilt and inlaid brass decoration against a tortoiseshell ba...
Brass
19th Century French Boulle Tea Caddy
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Very fine. Early 19th century Napoleon tea caddy. Brass inlay. Crystal vessel (not original).
Crystal, Brass
19th C. Napoleon III Style Boulle Box
Located in Norwalk, CT
Elegant 19th-century Napoleon III style Boulle box, showcasing the refined decorative aesthetic associated with French Second Empire design.
Wood
19th Century French Boulle / Napoleon III Liqueur Cave Box
Located in Vilnius, LT
Antique French liqueur cave box with inlaid brass and and tortoise shell marquetry decor, a lift top door and swing side doors, polished surface, bronze legs. Inside there is a wood...
Crystal, Bronze, Brass
18th Century French Boulle Vanity Box with Four Perfume Bottles
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
Napoleon III boulle and red tortoiseshell and inlaid brass with four original gilt glass bottle and working lock and key.
Brass
19th Century Boulle Work Lap Desk
Located in Alexandria, VA
Fine Napoleon III “Boulle” marquetry lap desk with extensive brass and tortoiseshell inlay, the lids opening to a three-tiered letter holder and a fitted interior with wells and a sl...
Brass
Napoléon III Period, Rose Enamel, Boulle Style, Jewelry Box
By Jean-Pierre Tahan
Located in Charleston, SC
A fine and rare French Napoléon III period, rose enamel, Boulle style, jewelry box that is signed, “Tahan rue de la Paix”, by its maker, Jean-Pierre-Alexandre Tahan.
Boulle Napoleon III Decorative Box
By André-Charles Boulle
Located in Chorzów, PL
French antique Boulle tortoise shell inlay box for jewelry, gloves or other precious details. Very good condition, with little key.
Tortoise Shell
Napoleon III Boulle Marquetry Writing Box, France, 1860
By André-Charles Boulle
Located in Paris, FR
Napoleon III Ecritoire writing box in Boulle style marquetry in bone with brass central cartridge.
Brass
Napoleon III Boulle Writing Cabinet Box, France, 1870
By André-Charles Boulle
Located in Paris, FR
Napoleon III Ecritoire writing cabinet in doucine, ebony veneer and Boulle style marquetry with brass filets and brass and mother of pearl inlay in the Queen's style decoration in fa...
Brass, Bronze
Napoleon III Boulle Marquetry Sewing Box, France, 1875
By André-Charles Boulle
Located in Paris, FR
Beautiful sewing box, in Boulle Marquetry style in fruitwood and Brass.
Brass
Napoleon III Boulle Marquetry Jewelry Box, France 1865
By André-Charles Boulle
Located in Paris, FR
Boulle Marquetry jewelry box in queen style decoration Napoleon III Beautiful jewelry box, ebony veneer and Boulle style marquetry on the lid with brass flower inlays of mother of p...
Brass
Sold
H 5 in W 14.25 in D 9.5 in
19th Century French Napoleon III Rosewood Decorative Boulle Jewelry Box
By André-Charles Boulle
Located in Dallas, TX
Created in France circa 1880 in the manner of André-Charles Boulle, the rectangular box is decorated with elegant arabesques of gilded brass inlay work in each corner including flora...
Brass
Sold
H 3.15 in W 10.63 in D 4.34 in
Napoleon III Boulle Marquetry Jewelry Decorative Gloves Box, France
By André-Charles Boulle
Located in Paris, FR
Napoleon III style period beautiful Glove decorative box in ebony veneer and Boulle marquetry with brass threads and brass mesh marquetry on the lid.
Brass
Large Napoleon III Boulle Marquetry Box, France, 19th Century
By André-Charles Boulle
Located in Paris, FR
Large Napoleon III box, in Boulle style marquetry with brass inlay.
Brass, Bronze
Napoleon III Boulle Marquetry Jewelry Box in Five Noble Materials
By André-Charles Boulle
Located in Paris, FR
Superb jewelry box, in Boule marquetry style with five different inlaid: brass, mother-of-pearl, horn,bones. Beautiful ornaments. Totally restored in a excellent condition.
Brass
Sold
H 6.3 in W 12.21 in D 9.85 in
Black French Napoleon III Boulle Bronze Decorative Beauty Vanity Toiletry Box
By André-Charles Boulle
Located in Paris, FR
Charming and rare Boulle Marquetry style Beauty Toiletry Box Signed Sormani in Napoleon III Period.
Brass, Bronze
Sold
H 3.94 in W 10.63 in D 3.94 in
Napoleon III Boulle Marquetry Jewelry Decorative Gloves Box, France
By André-Charles Boulle
Located in Paris, FR
Gorgeous Napoleon III jewelry decorative box that used to be a gloves box, in Boulle style marquetry beautifully decorated in ebony, brass, pewter, bone and mother-of-pearl, France, ...
Pewter, Brass
Napoleon III Jewelry Boulle Marquetry Box, France 19th Century
By André-Charles Boulle
Located in Paris, FR
Precious and unique Napoléon III rectangular jewelry box, blackened wood veneer with Boulle style inlay, inlays with noble materials - precious woods, mother of pearl, brass, & blue ...
Brass
Napoleon III Jewelry Boulle Marquetry Box, France, 19th Century
By André-Charles Boulle
Located in Paris, FR
Stunning and large Napoleon III jewelry or decorative box, in Boulle style marquetry with brass inlay in a cartridge in brass and mother of pearl encrypted with the initials "MB", wi...
Brass, Bronze
Napoleon III Boulle Marquetry Jewelry Box, France 19th Century
By André-Charles Boulle
Located in Paris, FR
Beautiful Napoleon III Jewelry box in blackened wood veneer and Boulle style marquetry with inlays of brass threads and multiple cartridges with brass, bone, mother of pearl, Horn an...
Brass
Sold
H 2.37 in W 9.06 in D 11.82 in
Rare Napoléon III Game Box in Boulle Style Marquetry, France, 1880s
By André-Charles Boulle
Located in Paris, FR
Rare Napoléon III game box circa 1880 made in Boulle Marquetry style with its game chips.
Brass
Sold
H 2.37 in W 9.06 in D 11.82 in
Rare Napoléon III Game Box in Boulle Style Marquetry, France, 1880s
By André-Charles Boulle
Located in Paris, FR
Rare Napoléon III game box circa 1880 made in Boulle Marquetry style with its game chips.
Brass
Napoleon III Boulle Marquetry Jewel Box, France, 19th Century
By André-Charles Boulle
Located in Paris, FR
Very chic jewel or decoration box in Boulle style decorated with brass and horn marquetry with splendid gilt bronze ornamentations in its original gilt golden state. An original pale...
Brass, Bronze
Napoleon III Boulle Marquetry Jewelry Gloves Box, France, 1875
By André-Charles Boulle
Located in Paris, FR
Beautiful jewelry or decorative box, used as a glove box by that time. Made in Boulle Marquetry style in blackened wood with brass marquetry, copper, mother of pearl and tortoise she...
Bronze, Brass, Copper
Sold
H 6.7 in W 16.54 in D 11.82 in
Black French Napoleon III Boulle Gilt Bronze Decorative Watercolor Box 19th Cent
By André-Charles Boulle
Located in Paris, FR
Amazing and really Rare Large Watercolour Box In Boulle Marquetry style, Napoleon III Period.
Brass, Bronze
Sold
H 1.97 in W 5.52 in D 3.15 in
Rare Pill or Stamp Box in Boulle Marquetry, Napoleon III France, 1870
By André-Charles Boulle
Located in Paris, FR
Rare stamp box or pill box in boulle marquetry style. Napoleon III style unique small box for stamos pills, ebony veneered and Boulle style marquetry with brass, pewter, mother-of-p...
Brass, Pewter
Sold
H 7.09 in W 13.78 in D 11.03 in
Large Black French Napoleon III Boulle Gilt Bronze Decorative Box 19th Century
By André-Charles Boulle
Located in Paris, FR
Stunning large decorative Napoleon III period, composed of Boulle style marquetry of doubled and tripled brass threads, as well as an important numbered cartouche on the cover.
Brass, Bronze
Sold
H 4.34 in W 7.88 in D 3.55 in
Rare Perfume Box Boulle Marquetry and Crystal Bottles, Napoleon III France 1865
By André-Charles Boulle
Located in Paris, FR
Rare perfume set in Boulle marquetry with five noble materials in Napoleon III style. With its four original crystal perfume bottles. Boulle style marquetry with inlays of brass, blu...
Crystal, Brass, Bronze
Sold
H 9.85 in W 23.63 in D 15.75 in
Very Large Black French Napoleon III Boulle Brass Decorative Box 19th Century
By André-Charles Boulle
Located in Paris, FR
Very beautiful and really super large box in brass Boulle marquetry style with triple fillets, with the count's crown and the coat of arms of the counts of Brittany, France on the c...
Brass, Bronze
Sold
H 2.76 in W 10.63 in D 4.34 in
Napoleon III Boulle Marquetry Bronze Tortoiseshell Jewel Gloves Box, France
By André-Charles Boulle
Located in Paris, FR
Gorgeous jewel or decorative box, used as a glove box by that time. Made in Boulle Marquetry style using five splendid noble veneered materials as brass and tortoiseshell in differen...
Bronze, Brass
Sold
H 9.45 in W 21.26 in D 14.57 in
Napoleon III Boulle Style Marquetry Box Brass, Copper, Mother-of-Pearl, France
By André-Charles Boulle
Located in Paris, FR
Large Size Napoleon III Charles style box in Boule style Marquetry with fine and delicate brass, copper and burgau mother-of-Pearl ornaments. Monogrammed Medallion in the outside ...
Brass, Copper
Under Napoleon III’s rule, Paris underwent a great rebuilding overseen by Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann, which created grand avenues and lavish landmarks like the Paris Opera. Antique Napoleon III–style furniture was flamboyant and eclectic. It was also known as Second Empire style since it followed and referenced the Empire style of his uncle Napoleon I.
Developing from 1852–70, Napoleon III furniture was plush and ornate, matching the fashion for masked balls and socializing in salons. It borrowed freely from earlier French styles including Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI as well as aesthetics from around the world, from antiquity to Asian art. As writer Gustave Claudin remarked in 1867, the country’s architects worked in “a style which one would be tempted to call neo-Greco-Gothico-Pompadour-Pompeian.”
Napoleon III chairs were completely covered with velvet and lined with tassels; pouf footstools invited people to put up their feet. Sofas were upholstered with tapestries, and beds were adorned with gilt bronze and theatrical canopies. The addition of conservatories to homes led to new indoor-outdoor furniture, while the spirit of hygiene promoted by Baron Haussmann inspired bright, floral motifs.
Although the most ostentatious designs were for the elite, as seen in the Napoleon III apartments preserved in the Louvre, where red velvet, gilding and chandeliers create a cacophony of luxury, these trends influenced homes across classes as manufacturing made design increasingly accessible. Papier-mâché furniture allowed for elaborate shapes that would have been difficult to carve in wood. The malleable material was painted with chinoiserie patterns and decorative designs. It was mass-produced by factories such as Jennens and Bettridge with varnishing and mother-of-pearl inlays creating an effect reminiscent of Asian lacquer. (Surfaces that had been “japanned” — a specialty of Jennens and Bettridge — were intended to resemble lacquer work that was created in East Asia.)
Find a collection of antique Napoleon III decorative objects, tables, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Antique, vintage and new decorative boxes will safely store items while adding a splash of color or texture to a corner in any room. They have had a range of purposes over the years — from trinkets to serving as useful receptacles, such as snuff boxes, jewelry boxes and more. Boxes have also been designed in a range of forms and styles.
Box making is a craft dating back thousands of years. Early boxes as decorative objects were regularly designed and decorated both inside and out, ranging from minimal looks to more flashy styles. Decorative boxes have been constructed from different materials, with wood and metal being the most common. Wood is widely available and versatile, with woodworkers able to carve complex designs or showcase its natural grain.
Some antique jewelry boxes were made with tortoiseshell, mother-of-pearl, ivory and even porcupine quills, such as those created by the Anishinabe in Canada and the United States. In Sri Lanka, well-crafted boxes were inlaid with porcupine quills and ivory discs between ebony bands. Chinese sewing boxes and tea boxes made of black lacquer were popular in Europe during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. These often featured gold-painted designs or landscape scenes. Silk, paper and velvet frequently enhanced these boxes’ interiors.
Any style of decorative box can be a nice tabletop or desktop decor, whether to hold candy or tea in the living room or paper, pencils and other business supplies in the office. They can also act as jewelry boxes. Sewing boxes can be a lovely touch to any space while storing magazines or other trinkets.
You can find metal, wood and silver antique boxes on 1stDibs. The collection includes mid-century modern, Victorian and Art Deco styles that can add elegance to any home.