Shell Boxes

Superb jewelry box designed and produced in Mexico during the 1970's. This artisanal set with abalone mother-of-pearl and alpaca, is a true work of art. A beautiful item to display i...

Superb turtle-shaped jewelry box designed and produced in Mexico during the 1970's. This artisanal set with abalone mother-of-pearl and alpaca, is a true work of art. More than a box...

A beautifully crafted hexagonal jewelry box inlaid with luminous mother‑of‑pearl and abalone seashell, executed in the Moorish design style, circa mid‑20th century. The lid centers a...

Superb jewelry box designed and produced in Mexico during the 1970's. This artisanal set with abalone mother-of-pearl and alpaca, is a true work of art. A beautiful item to display i...

A stylish antique Art Deco English tortoise shell and mother of pearl tessellated box with a hinged lid and brass interior, circa 1920. A fabulous accent piece for any room! Dimens...

FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING Vanity Box by Mappin & Webb in Coromandel with Sterling Silver dated 1854. The vanity box is of rectangular form extensively veneered in exotic coromandel and edged throughout with brass, incorporating double brass stringing to both the lid and front with a raised escutcheon to the centre. Opening the vanity box reveals a complete fitted interior comprising seventeen glass bottles topped with engraved sterling silver lids hallmarked for James Vickery, London, 1854. The quality of silver mounted fittings reflects the mid nineteenth century standard expected from a luxury retailer such as Mappin & Webb. The front panel folds down to reveal wing compartments which pivot outward through 180 degrees. Within sits a comprehensive mother of pearl handled tool pad incorporating a shoehorn, penknife, thread hook, multiple pairs of scissors, tweezers, file, needle and pricker. Beneath the tool pad is a concealed compartment accessed by depressing the retailer’s plaque positioned along the rear edge of the case. The retailer’s plaque reads: Mappin & Webb, Sheffield 158 to 162 Oxford Street & Mansion House Buildings London. With the wings extended, additional concealed drawers can be accessed by removing the rectangular jars positioned to the rear and depressing the back edge of each compartment base, activating a spring loaded latch mechanism. The underside of the lid houses a removable mirror bordered with gold tooling, designed to stand independently on its bracket. Behind the mirror is a further concealed compartment suitable for storing correspondence or documents. A fully fitted mid nineteenth century coromandel vanity box...

Superb jewelry box designed and produced in Mexico during the 1970's. This artisanal set with abalone mother-of-pearl and alpaca, is a true work of art. A beautiful item to display i...

FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING Green tortoiseshell tea caddy dating to the Georgian period, circa 1790 during the reign of George III. The exterior is finished in vibrant green tortoiseshell and mounted with silver stringing, a vacant silver initial plaque and matching silver escutcheon. The interior is faced in boxwood and fitted with two tortoiseshell lids, each mounted with turned bone handles. When removed, the lids reveal twin tea storage compartments retaining visible traces of their original lining. The tea caddy remains complete with a working lock and tasselled key and is a rare example of late eighteenth century tortoiseshell tea caddies.

The Paris based label has distinguished themselves since their launch, with their iconic use of shagreen mixed with brass and other exotic materials. All furniture is handcrafted by skilled artisans, ultimately making each piece unique, designed in Paris and produced in the Philippines. The set of 4 pedestal boxes are the perfect home accents to add elegance and functionality to your space. These can be used as a vanity set for your bathroom, in your office to store desk...

Large cast bronze, brass and crackled tiger penshell crocodile and dragonfly box / sculpture by Maitland Smith, circa 1990s. This hard to find piece is in very good vintage condition...

This finely crafted Italian shell-encrusted jewelry box exudes a charming Grotto style, typical of mid-century decorative art from the 1950s. Its...

French 19th century Ormolu mother of pearl egg shaped perfume box on foot A beautiful egg shaped perfume bottle box, with interior of 2 perfume bottles wh...

FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING This Antique Tortoiseshell Tea Caddy dates to the Georgian period during the reign of George III, circa 1800. The tea caddy is formed in an elegant octagona...

In our workshop we apply eggshell lacquer to many things mostly using the inside of the eggshell. The mosaic pattern is achieved with a cracking motion using the ends of pointed tool...

This is an early, exceptional lidded box designed by the famed decorative arts design firm Ria and Youri Augousti, Paris. The rare piece boasts geometric seashell marquetry with trim...

Exceptional and highly collectible figural crab jewelry box designed and handcrafted by Los Castillo in Taxco, Mexico, one of the most influential worksho...

This refined cigar case is executed in richly figured tortoiseshell, shaped in a gently contoured rectangular form with softly rounded ends, the exterior polished to a deep transluce...

This very old wonderful box is carved in solid wood. It can be closed by a beautiful polished mother of pearl shell. This box could be of the hand of Alexandre Noll (1890-1970), but ...

This refined small-scale folding card case is constructed in the traditional two-leaf format, opening on a central pinned hinge to reveal a silk-lined interior compartment. The exte...

Beautiful brass plated abalone seashell square box with wood lined compartment. Stamped underneath “Taxco Mexico" a region of Mexico known for their unique and one of a kind metal works. The patina adds a grounding element to the glistening and multi color abalone shells. The design of a fish head in brass appears on the lid adding extra artistry to such a unique piece. One long hinge along lid allows it to open and close with ease. Incredible piece to add to your organic modern decor...

Fascinating and rare set of seven boxes featuring a lacquered eggshell veneer attributed to French artist Thierry Voeltzel. Each box is designed with Greco-Roman neoclassical archite...

Fabulous Inlayed mother of pearl large box with a mother of pearl polished turbo shell.

Antique 1940s Mosaic Shell Inlaid Decorative Middle Eastern Islamic Box. Mosaic Luxury Decorative Middle Eastern Islamic Vanity Box. Middle Eastern Asian Mosaic Wood Box with Inlays ...

Rare Art Deco Dunhill Silver-Plated & Lacquered Cigarette Case with Coquille d’Œuf Inlay – Circa 1930 This stunning Art Deco Dunhill cigarette case is a masterpiece of elegant desig...

exquisite middle Eastern Moorish Syrian inlay jewelry box. This box is intricately inlaid with Moorish motif designs which have been uniquely inlaid with bone, mother of pearl and f...

A Vintage Seashell-Encrusted Jewelry Box with Floral Motif, 20th Century Description: Wooden base completely covered in a variety of small, natural seashells. Intricate handmade mos...

Rare Jean Dunand Art Deco Cigarette Case, Circa 1930 – Bronze, Coquille d’Œuf, and Lacquer This exceptional Art Deco Jean Dunand cigarette case,...

Unique footed ostrich egg box by J. Antony Redmile, accented with silver plate trim work, topped with an egg-shaped malachite finial and set atop a bl...

A striking vintage decorative box by Maitland-Smith, showcasing the brand’s signature use of exotic materials and refined craftsmanship. The surface features a bold harlequin pattern...

1 of 3 Vintage mother-of-pearl boxes - timeless, for jewellery, gifts or sweets - Italy 1950s - Noble table decoration, elegant gift idea Give the gift of elegance with this vintage...

Tiffany Style handcrafted Mid-Century Modern nautical décor mother of pearl shell box or keepsake. The big Seashell is the handle to open it. Beautiful...

Exquisite richly encrusted with a great selection of sea shells, all natural colours with white coral branches and a brown cowrie shell on top, treasure box.

Raised on Four Legs with a Domed Top From our Jewellery Box collection, we are delighted to introduce into the market this stunning Tortoiseshell and Silver Jewellery Box by William...

Like an ancient pebble or river-rock that has been tumbled for centuries to polish and reveal its alluvial layers. Hand-turned solid oak box enveloped in lacquered eggshell marquetry.

Chinese Round Black Lacquer Box with Mother of Pearl Inlay, likely 20th Century Beautiful and useful 20th century. Chinese lacquer box of circular shape, the domed cover with flora...

Fine 19thC Rosewood and Mother of Pearl Jewellery Cabinet, the table top work casket with hinged top enclosing a compartmented interior above a pair of doors enclosing three graduate...

Antique Japanese Mother of Pearl inlaid jewelry box w lap desk This item includes restricted materials and can not be sold outside of the contiguous United States. Additional i...

A beautifully hand-crafted Ostrich Egg made into a box featuring refined brass closure details, an elegant acorn-form finial lid, and distinctive bone-style feet (the bone may be res...

We present you a low wooden coffret, whose surface is covered with diamond-shaped mother of pearl tiles. This item is from Q3 of the 19th century. The mother of pearl is made of two types of seashell. Furthermore, the inside is lined with claret velvet. The frames of the lid and base are made of ivory. Presented item is in good condition. Some mother of pearls tiles...

19th century folk art box, with burl wood veneer and mother of pearl and fruit wood inlay. The surface decorated with geometric, diamond and star motifs. The raised top with a banded...

A handsome French Napoleon III walnut box, richly decorated with intricate mother-of-pearl, ivory and brass inlay. The rectangular form is beautifully proportioned and showcases the ...

Maitland Smith Mother Of Pearl Box. Offered is a very large decorative box of tessellated mother of pearl in the geometric Art Deco styl...

A ‘Palais Royal’ miniature horse-drawn carriage trinket box made with mother of pearl, silver-plated horses and gold plated metal. 19th century.

This late 19th century spectacle case has an elegant design of lacquered papier-mâché with mother-of-pearl inlay. The inlaid decoration depicts a spray of various flowers and is bord...

PRESENTING a LOVELY 19C Anglo Indian Bombay MOP (Mother of Pearl) Sadeli Mosaic Trinket Box from circa 1875-85. Gorgeously detailed and hand-crafted ‘sadeli mosaic’ inlay, from the Bombay Area, with deep greens with silver, pewter, mother of pearl, bone and ebony in geometric patterns. The box case, is made of sandalwood but completely covered in MOP, bone, faux ivory, ebony and mosaic inlay. Edged with faux ivory and banded with a different pattern of sadeli mosaic. Some minor damage to the top (repair is obvious in pics) and ivorine replacements to some edging, but it still a BEAUTIFUL BOX and of real QUALITY! The mosaic work is FABULOUS! Box opens to reveal its original blue velvet lining. It sits on 4 (recently added) silvered button feet. SADELI MOSAIC: “Anglo Indian boxes were made in India for the English residents from the early part of the 18th century. They were brought back or sent back to England usually by the people who had commissioned them. From the beginning of the nineteenth century they were imported more commercially, although not in any significant numbers until the middle decades. They were very highly valued, especially the early ones, to the extent that the designs were copied on late 19th and early 20th century tins. The ancient art of Sadeli Mosaic is said to have been introduced from Shiraz in Persia via Sind to Bombay, a long time before the Anglo Indian boxes were made. It was a technique, which required a high degree of skill and patience. It was executed very lavishly, in that the frequent cuts wasted a great amount of the precious materials used. The workmanship was however more than commensurable to the value of the materials. Ivory, silver, pewter (or other metals), wood and horn were cut into faceted rods which were bound together to form geometric patterns. When the glue has set, the rods were sliced in transverse sections. This gave the maker a number of angled circular pieces in the original pattern. Several variations of patterns could be achieved by combining the materials in different ways. The ivory was sometimes dyed green to give an extra color. The mosaic pieces in a combination of patterns, often separated by ivory, ebony, horn or silver stringing were used to veneer sandalwood boxes. In the early boxes, which date from the turn of the 18th to the 19th century, there are large panels of mosaic covering tops and sides of boxes. It took incredible skill to cover such large areas without any shakes or wavering of the pattern. The corners and joins on these boxes are impeccably matched. The makers (reputed to be Persian) of Sadeli mosaic made in the first two decades of the 19th century displayed a total understanding of the qualities of the different materials they used. They combined substances, which can expand and contract according to atmospheric conditions with others, which are hard and unyielding. The result was a sharp definition of the lines and patterns, which made up the whole design. On the early boxes the designs look deceptively simple. The fact is, they emerged from a culture, which had mastered geometry and understood how to generate a pattern from a set number of points. The patterns are so harmoniously combined that their incredible complexity is not immediately apparent. The earliest Sadeli boxes...

Scottish silver mounted tiger cowary shell snuff box, 1817. The hinged lid is inscribed with "W. Legget Stock Bridge 1817," surrounded a laurel wreath,...

Elegant handcrafted pill box made in Taxco, Mexico, circa 1970s. Created by Villalobos, this petite sterling silver box features a domed lid inlaid with iridescent abalone shell arra...

Jewelry Box by Cathrine Horsbøll, Denmark, ca. 1910 Jewelry box of oval form in richly figured mahogany, the lid centred with a marquetry medallion of elm root and walnut framing a ...

1980s decorative pen shell cube box attributed to Maitland Smith. Medium brown pen shell with dark gray tessellated stone accents. Wood lined box. No ma...

A hand-crafted abalone seashell and alpaca metal pill box, circa 1960s, mid-20th century, Mexico. Box is oval with a beautiful iridescent abalone seashell top; top is hinged with fro...

Rousing lidded box with form and function, handcrafted in silver plate on hammered copper decorated in mother of pearl. Stamped Mexico on the bottom. As seen in the last photo of the...

This substantial vintage mid century modern hinged turtle box is a lovely combination of brass, abalone, and rosewood. It is from Mexico from the 50;s and hallmarked on the back Hech...

Inlaid with floral sprays of engraved mother of pearl and brass From our Sewing Box collection, we are delighted to offer this William IV Rosewood Inlaid Sewing Box. The Sewing Box ...

A large folk art sea shell encrusted tissue box. This shell-covered box is the perfect way to add coastal design to a space. It is rectangular in sh...

This vintage coastal box is beautifully encrusted with an array of natural shells, creating a stunning, textured surface that captures the essence of beachside charm. Perfect as a de...

PRESENTING A LOVELY 19C Anglo Indian Vizagapatam Bone and Shell Domed Stationery Box – ‘Alice’s Box’. Made in Vizagapatam, India, circa 1860-80. We call this one: “Alice’s Box”! It has lived ‘a hard, well used and traveled life’, as is evident from the number of losses and repairs, as is obvious from the photos, especially to the faux ivory panels and bands to the top. The bonus to the loss of the frieze panels to the dome has a ‘bonus’, however, as their loss has revealed the most GORGEOUS faux blonde tortoiseshell underneath! The box is dome/casket shaped. The top has 3 bands, with the center one being the original. The 2 side bands are later ivorine. The faux ivory and hand-painted medallions on the domed lid, have been saved and they depict Hindu Gods, Vishnu and Shiva. The front and side panels are still in pretty good shape and are decorated with lac ink (indelible ink made from crushed beetles) depicting lovely floral designs. The domed lid open to reveal a series of open compartments for envelopes, writing paper etc. and one lidded panel for stamps. Inside the box are 2 paper labels: one probably being the original item ticket and the other with: ” Alice’s address is 272 Ashworth Ave, Toronto 4, Ontario”. Probably, the original owner? Hence, we call it ‘Alice’s Box’. What a journey/life this box has had! Made in India, made its way to Canada, back to Ireland and then to Texas! This is why, WE LOVE ANTIQUES...

1930s Art Déco black lacquer, eggshells and varnished wood decorative box by Jean Dunand, France By: Jean Dunand Material: wood, metal, lacquer, eggshell Technique: cast, molded, ca...

Inlaid table cabinet with six compartments and two handles. This is a beautifully decorated crafted box reflecting the craftsmanship and cultural influences of Goa during the colonia...

An elegant small folding card case likely English, finely constructed in richly patinated tortoiseshell panels and decorated to the exterior with an inlaid floral spray composed of ...

A vintage black lacquered lidded circular box with mother or pearl floral inlaid décor. This vintage Chinese black lacquered box is a testame...