John Grinsell & Sons Decorative Boxes

Antique English SilverPlate Biscuit Box, circa 1880.

An exceptional, fine and impressive antique William IV English sterling silver table snuff box; an addition to our collectable silverware collection. This exceptional antique William IV sterling silver snuff box has a rectangular, rounded form. The body of the box is embellished with impressive chased floral motifs accented with scrolling stem and foliate ornamentation, all on a matte background. The decoration to the body incorporates a chased single leaf design to each corner, emanating from the rounded lower portion. The upper rim of the body and swept sides of the cover are encompassed with a continuous band of engine turned decoration. The underside of the box features a further panel of engine turned decoration. This exceptional example of antique silverware is fitted with a hinged hallmarked cover embellished with an engine turned bordered rectangular vacant cartouche to the upper plateau. The cover is further embellished with an exceptional cast and applied domed, incurved border to the upper portion, matching the ornamentation to that of the body and continuing to an impressive floral thumbpiece to the anterior edge. This antique sterling silver snuff box opens to reveal the original gilded interior. Condition This antique sterling silver snuff box is an exceptional gauge of silver, exceptional quality and in exceptional condition. The chased and applied ornamentation is all very sharp and the engine turned decoration is all very crisp. Full hallmarks struck to the interior of the box are all very clear. Reflections in photographs may detract from the true representation of this antique silverware. Dimensions Length 9.8cm/3.9" Width 6.5cm/2.6" Height 4.3cm/1.7" Weight 8.2 troy ounces/253g Maker: Joseph Willmore...

This is a highly decorative antique Victorian silver plated folding biscuit box, the base bearing the makers' mark of the renowned silversmiths Fenton Brothers of Sheffield, England, circa 1890 in date and bearing the Staniforth's Patent mark as well as the registration number 3549. It has a beautifully shaped body sitting in a cast frame with remarkably chased branch supports and the original interior features elegant hand-pierced dividers. It opens out into two halves and is held shut by gorgeous laurel wreath loose ring handles at the top. This wonderful container could house anything from sweets to biscuits or trinkets. Whatever you choose to store in this lovely item you are sure to do it in style. Condition: In excellent condition, please see photos for confirmation. Dimensions in cm: Height 25 x width 19 x depth 15 Dimensions in inches: Height 10 inches x width 7 inches x depth 6 inches Fenton Brothers Ltd Sheffield Firm established in 1875 at South Moor Works, East Street, Sheffield by John Frederick Fenton...

Art Deco, sterling silver-mounted shagreen table box, London, 1923, Charles Boynton & Sons, Ltd, makers. Measures: 6 1/4" wide x 3 1/2" deep x 2 1/4" high. Wood lined. Shagreen is be...

Rectangular/octagonal table box in 925 silver. The box was completely handmade in Florence at the end of the last century. Engraved with floral and abstract motifs, it has been fin...

Early 20th century English silver plate frame surtout de table mirrored plateau . The plateau features a silver plate framed with exterior floral ...

This antique biscuit barrel or box was made by the Reproduction Sheffield & Silver Plate firm of England and dates to approximately 1920 and don...

George VI sterling silver box. Made by Robert Pringle & Sons in London in 1939. Rectangular with curved corners. Cover hinged and tabbed; top has engine-turned wave ornament and rect...

Lovely little sterling silver snuffbox, fully hallmarked with gold plated interior. Lovely chasing on lid and sides, classic high Victorian repousse w...

An English sterling silver plate covered biscuit box or tea caddy with hinged finial lid top, attached claw footed gallery tray, and exterior repou...

Offered is a stunning Sheffield silver keepsake box dating to 1900, with associated hallmark. This small box includes a clean interior and rounded corners. The box is free of names or initials, but would have been used to house keepsakes such as jewelry or cufflinks. A well maintained, elegant piece, this antique silver box is an excellent addition to any silver collection. Trinket or keepsake boxes have taken on many forms since their first conception in ancient times. However their purpose remains the same; to store jewelry and other items precious to the owner. Originally, these boxes were used specifically for jewelry. These were in common use as early as 5000 BC in Ancient Egypt, when the majority of Egyptians, both male and female, wore jewelry. Boxes were used to keep these gemstone encrusted items safe. In Ancient Rome, jewelry was a status symbol. Rings and brooches were utilized to represent ones status in society. Again, boxes were needed for security and storage purposes. Finding early examples of these are quite rare. Victorian and Edwardian examples of trinket boxes are far more common. This is because owning jewellery was a luxury until the Victorian era- let alone possessing so much a box was needed to store it all. Fine jewelry and other items became available to the masses after the industrial revolution due to the reduction in production costs. This led to a demand for trinket boxes, which were much smaller than jewelry boxes and therefore better suited to the needs of the middle class who did not yet possess an abundance of jewelry. In Victorian households, collectables and other items of interested were also stashed inside these boxes. This is why they are known as trinket or keepsake boxes, rather than just jewelry boxes, although of course jewelry was also stored in them. Trinket boxes were produced in large numbers around this time. Many were lined with colored plush or velvet or rich wood. More elaborate designs had interior divisions and trays for rings and other pieces of jewellery. It was also common to see trinket boxes so small that they could only contain one item, such as a single ring. Ornate exteriors were created to reflect the value of the trinket boxes contents. The Edwardian era saw the introduction of new styles of trinket box. These included small circular or oblong boxes...

This antique silver plated mechanical biscuit barrel is completely unsigned, but presumed to have originated from England and date to approximately 1920 and done in a Victorian style...