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Matara Box

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DOME QUILL BOX
Located in New York, NY
19th Century dome-shaped-top porcupine quill box with ebony and ivory detail. The inside top
Category

Antique 19th Century English Boxes

DOME QUILL BOX
DOME QUILL BOX
H 4 in W 8.25 in D 6.25 in
Antique Anglo-Indian Quill Box or Basket
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Rare antique Ceylonese quill box or basket in indigenous hardwoods, quills, and bone dots
Category

Early 20th Century Sri Lankan British Colonial Decorative Boxes

Materials

Bone

Rare Large Size Anglo Indian Quill Sewing Box
Located in Palm Beach, FL
A large size Anglo Indian quill box, with a sewing box interior, unusual in this type of box, as
Category

Antique 19th Century Indian Boxes

Rare Large Size Anglo Indian Quill Sewing Box
Rare Large Size Anglo Indian Quill Sewing Box
H 5.75 in W 13.75 in D 10.25 in
19th Century Anglo Indian Ebony & Porcupine Quill Box
Located in Pearland, TX
Matara, Ceylon the colonial name for Sri Lanka. This fine box has a decorative raised lid, a hand carved
Category

Antique 19th Century Sri Lankan British Colonial Decorative Boxes

Materials

Bone, Ebony

Antique Anglo Indian Celonese Porcupine Quill Basket
Located in Palm Beach, FL
geometrics and an elephant standing on "MATARA," the city in which it was made. All sitting on ball feet.
Category

Antique 19th Century Indian Anglo-Indian Decorative Boxes

Antique Sri Lanka Anglo-Indian Quill Inlaid Box, Matara Type
Located in Bridgeport, CT
A fine Campaign style quill box, circa 19th century. Ebony frame with bands of quills and inlaid
Category

Antique 19th Century Sri Lankan Campaign Decorative Boxes

Materials

Wood

Antique Anglo-Indian Quill Box
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Anglo-Indian box with key crafted with indigenous hard woods, porcupine quills and decorated with
Category

Early 20th Century Indian Anglo-Indian Decorative Boxes

Antique Anglo-Indian Quill Box
Antique Anglo-Indian Quill Box
H 3 in W 8.5 in D 6.5 in
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Finding the Right decorative-boxes for You

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.

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