Antique Travelling Vanity Box, English, Campaign Correspondence Case, Victorian

This is an antique Campaign correspondence box. An Anglo-Indian, teak and brass bound Colonial traveller's writing case, dating to the late Victorian period, circa 1880. Captivati...

This is an antique travelling vanity case. An English, coromandel jewellery box, dating to the early Victorian period, circa 1850. Striking...

This is an antique gentleman's travelling box. An Anglo-Indian, teak and brass bound correspondence case, dating to the Victorian period, circa 1880....

This is an antique correspondence box. An English, aged leather travelling writing case in the manner of Asprey, dating to the mid Victorian period, circa 1860. Appealing Victorian leather writing...

This is an antique travelling jewellery box. A Chinese, lacquered pine campaign case, dating to the late Victorian period, circa 1900. Delightful example of red lacquered craftsmans...

This is an antique campaign correspondence box. An Anglo-Indian, teak and bone inlaid colonial writing case with fitted interior, dating to the late...

A superb antique 19th century English Victorian burled walnut travel campaign vanity box featuring inlaid brass fruit basket motif with mother of pe...

This is a stunning antique Victorian Coromandel gentleman's travelling vanity case with fitted interior, circa 1865 in date. This rectagular shaped traveling case is made of rare coromandel wood and features a blank brass plaque. The interior is well fitted with Sheffield silver plate mounted jars, bottles and shaving tools, displayed on fitted blue velvet. The secret button at the front of the case opens a sprung secret drawer below, for your jewellery. The underside of the lid has a velvet backed mirror and a compartment for hiding your letters. Complete with working Bramah lock and original key. It is a beautiful piece which will look stunning on your dressing table. Condition: In really excellent condition. Please see photos for confirmation. Dimensions in cm: Height 9 x Width 26 x Depth 19 Dimensions in inches: Height 3 inches x Width 10 inches x Depth 7 inches Calamander wood or Coromandel wood is a valuable wood from India, Sri Lanka and South East Asia. It is of a hazel-brown color, with black stripes (or the other way about), very heavy and hard. It is also known as Macassar Ebony or variegated ebony and is closely related to genuine ebony, but is obtained from different species in the same genus; one of these is Diospyros quaesita Thwaites, from Sri Lanka. The name Calamander comes from the local sinhalese name, 'kalu-medhiriya', which means dark chamber; referring to the characteristic ebony black wood. Coromandel wood has been logged to extinction over the last 2 to 3 hundred years and is no longer available for new work in any quantity. Furniture in coromandel is so expensive and so well looked after that even recycling it is an unlikely source. A substitute, Macassar Ebony, has similar characteristics and to the untrained eye is nearly the same but it lacks the depth of colour seen in genuine Coromandel. Travelling cases became very popular towards the end of the 18th century. They were manufactured specifically to accompany upper class gentleman during travel. Dressing cases were originally rather utilitarian but they spoke volumes about their owners’s wealth and place in society, as at that time, traveling was only done by the elite. Gentleman’s dressing cases would contain bottles and jars for colognes, aftershaves and creams as well as essential shaving and manicure tools. As these boxes became more popular, many further traveling item options were offered for inclusion. By the early Victorian era, ladies also began to travel and suddenly their requirements were anything but utilitarian! Ladies dressing cases could feature a wide range of decorative bottles and jars as well as a vast array of beautifcation tools, all designed with pure luxury in mind. The exterior of the box became almost as important as the interior and these boxes started being veneered with beautiful exotic woods from all over the world. As demand for gentleman’s boxes lessened, the dressing case started to also become known by the more feminine term ‘vanity box’. These boxes, with their excessive price tags, were now considered as true works of art and beauty in themselves, and were often bought as status symbols rather than actual traveling companions. Some of the finest examples of travelling cases made from exotic wood with gold and silver fittings come from: Walter Thornhill, Betjamann & Sons and Jenner...

Victorian rosewood travelling vanity box / jewellery case. The top has an inlaid mother of pearl floral motif and mother of pearl surrounding the lock. Super example with a suite of wonderful storage and complete vanity items. Displays a desirable aged patina and in good order throughout. The fitted interior reveals a lift-out compartment tray, dressed with dark navy velvet. A mirror is set within the lid, removable by activating a brass push button which gives access to leather folio sleeve. There is also small push button within the rear edge which activates the lower jewellery drawer, with individual jewellery compartments and velvet earring...

A antique Victorian era English campaign style brass bound mahogany portable lap desk / writing slope with nicely aged patina. circa 1850 Commonly used by military officers in the f...

A superb antique 19th century English coromandel and rosewood fitted travel vanity or dressing box, circa 1870. This fine box contains the original contents including silverplate lidded cut glass jars, sewing tools...

English campaign box, the top is inlaid with brass rectangular medallion with cut corners, the sides have campaign pulls for carrying, the front ...