South Asian Decorative Boxes

This beautiful box is crafted from cast aluminum with a polished brass finish. Smooth sides are paired with a removable lid with a stylized tulip motif in raised relief. Ideal to giv...

Dutch Colonial ebony box with silver mounts, large silver hinges and the original steel lock and key. This rare box was likely made in the Dutch East India possession of Sri Lanka, o...

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...

A diminutive carved pink marble Postmodern cylindrical trinket box. The perfect size for gifting a piece of jewelry or as a gift in itself for a box collector. In excellent condition...

VERY DECORATIVE VIZAGAPATAM BOX Vizagapatam, India, 19th Century. Rustic workmanship will only add to the decorative appeal of this Anglo-Indian footed domed casket in ebonized woo...

Antique Anglo-Indian Kashmir Hand-Carved Wood Jewelry Box, Velvet Lined, circa 1920s A beautifully handcrafted Anglo Raj Kashmir wood trinket ...

Mughal style pietra dura marble box - hand made - featuring an over-all floral and vine design with lapis lazuli, mother-of-pearl and black onyx inlay - signed on the base and the li...

Exceptional antique Anglo Indian sewing box handcrafted with quills and decorated bone with a brass handle, lion heads and paw feet. The interior has pin cushions and compartments wi...

Very fine 18th century Indian Macassar Ebony traveling writing box with Tutenag metal hardware, the vividly grained case with rare alloy trim, the rectangular form opening to make a ...

An Anglo Indian Rectangular Porcupine Quill & Bone Box, 20th Century Description: Constructed from wood, featuring naturally shed porcupine quills inlaid between decorative band...

Beautiful and Minimalist Jewelry box. This rare beauty is a unique box or decorative box that brings minimal shape with organic beauty. Constructed of wood panels that have been ligh...

Handcarved wooden trinket box with carved geometric shapes, small handmade ornamental indentations and cream white decor on the lid. Rustic organic ...

Anglo-Indian Mother of Pearl Inlaid jewelry Box. 1940s Victorian Anglo Indian box in silver, bone and mother of pearl Inlaid. An elegant Anglo Indian bon...

Antique Anglo-Indian pen box with hidden drawer, made of wood and brass, featuring a central blank brass cartouche, circa first half of the 20th century. This beautiful box is of hi...

Vintage Netturpetti Brass-Mounted Teak Dowry Jewelry Box, Kerala, India, Circa 1950 A beautifully handcrafted Netturpetti (Nettoor Petti), a highly collectible traditional Kerala do...

Antique 19th century Anglo-Indian jewelry, trinket footed box, inlay with ebony, mosaic marquetry Sadeli work and a carved Hindu scene on top. The box case is made from sandalwood wi...

Asian decorative trinket lidded box in metal silvered hammered and etched with organic floral design. Anglo Raj style oval form betel box. Dimensio...

Brass Trinket Box with Semi Precious Inserts, Tree Full of Parrots, Viya by Vikram Goyal Trinket box in brass with semi precious inserts. Handmade in India. A tree full of parrots is a sign of success in aspirations and future endeavours. According to the 17th-century Indian manuscript...

A BRASS MUGHAL INDIAN OVAL BETEL PANDAN BOX Northern India, early 19th century. Length: 5 1/4" in. (13.3 cm.) height: 3 1/4" in. (8.3 cm.) width: 4" in. (1...

Antique Chinese Tibetan Brass Filigree with Turquoise and Coral beads round Box Handcrafted round Tibetan, Nepalese decorative brass trinket wish box. Antique Asian Tibetan hand made box inlaid with polished turquoise and coral glass inlay pieces. Great fine brass filigree design on the top lid and sides. Has a wonderful patina. In good shape with age appropriate wear this box has retained its original patina finish, has no missing pieces. Opens and closes as it should. A beautiful Asian pill box for a vanity or desk. Box measures: 2" height X 4" diameter. Tibetan Buddhist prayer boxes...

Superb stationary box Probably Kashmir, Indian sub-continent The finest of printed paper applied to softwood. Blue painted interior. Remnants of a makers label on the underside F...

Hand-Carved Anglo-Indian Mughal Style Wooden Jewelry Box – Early 20th Century An elegant early 20th-century Anglo-Raj carved wooden box, finely handcrafted in India and richly decorated with continuous arabesque and floral relief carving throughout. The deeply detailed surface work reflects traditional Mughal-inspired craftsmanship, with scrolling foliage motifs executed in a cohesive decorative field across the lid and all sides. The hinged lid opens to a spacious interior lined in deep rust-red velvet, providing a rich contrast to the warm tone of the carved wood while offering a soft protective surface for jewelry, keepsakes, or collectibles. The shallow relief carving enhances the tactile quality of the piece, emphasizing the skill of its hand-executed workmanship. A refined example of Anglo-Indian decorative arts, this box functions beautifully as both a practical storage object and a statement collectible, suited for traditional, bohemian, or eclectic interiors. Origin: India Period: Early 20th Century Materials: Hand-carved wood, velvet lining Style: Anglo-Indian / Mughal Revival / Colonial Decorative Arts Condition: Good vintage condition with age-appropriate wear Keywords / Metadata: Anglo Indian box, Mughal carved box, Indian jewelry box, carved wooden trinket box, early 20th century Indian furniture, Anglo Raj decor, handmade wooden box, Islamic floral carving, Moorish style box, rustic carved box, vintage India box...

Very decorative hand painted in the Anglo-Indian style. Painted back and gold with each framed panel filled with female dancers and male flower bearing suiters. A colorful and fun, a...

Eyecatching Ceylonese rectangular porcupine quill box with decoration of ebonised casing and striking porcupine quills and infills of white and black bone 'dots' Sliding lid reveals...

Beautiful 19th Century Eastern Tortoiseshell and Bone Trinket Box, Lined with Blue Velvet on Paw Feet. Ideal for jewellery or keepsakes or just as a ...

Antique Hindu brass decorative box. This is an antique Mughal style brass Indian ornate locking trinket box container. It has six compartments that lock ...

An Anglo Indian bone, ebony and metal inlaid sadeli work box with portable writing desk, Bombay, circa 1850. The sandalwood body of faceted recta...

Beautiful handcrafted tinned copper decorative octagonal betel box with lid and brass latch. The metal is delicately and intricately hand-hammered and repousse with floral and geometric designs. This Vintage brass box...

Rajasthani Mughal Decorative Copper Lidded Betel Spice Pandan Caddy Box. Handcrafted decorative North India round metal Asian copper Mughal Raj, Indian lidded , spice, pandan betel box with latch and a top handle. Of dome form with lotus-shaped finial, with spiralling bosse designs, Delicately and intricately hand-chased and hammered with geometric Anglo-Indian designs. Consuming betel leaves with several ingredients such as wet lime paste, katechu, areca nut, cloves and even tobacco leaves has been popular in India from the fourth century AD. Dimensions: Height: 9 in (22.86 cm)Diameter: 7 in (17.78 cm) The box was probably used to store the betel leaf used in the preparation of paan. Lime paste is mixed with grated areca nut and flavourings and the resulting mixture is rolled in the betel leaf to form a small parcel which can then be chewed. As well as being an integral part of Indian hospitality paan is believed to possess medicinal properties and was also taken as an aphrodisiac. The present box, which was elaborately designed for this purpose, would have been taken out ceremoniously on special occasions. Exquisite conversation museum quality piece with a very nice antique patina. Fine intricate artwork with conical form lid with Moorish pierced designs. Islamic Mughal Indo Persian...

A beautifully handcrafted pietra dura round marble trinket box, showcasing the centuries-old decorative art form perfected in both Mughal India and Renaissance Florence. The lid feat...

Beautiful handcrafted decorative round tinned copper Mughal Indian box with lid, latch and handle. Antique South Asian Mughal Round Tinned Copper Box with L...

A striking pair of vintage Asian clam shell-form trinket boxes finished in richly layered lacquer with warm shades of oxblood red, amber, black, and olive green. Their sculptural she...

Antique Anglo-Indian quill box handcrafted and decorated with porcupine quills and bone dots. Made in Ceylon which was the colonial name for Sri Lanka. Porcupine quillwork objects of...

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...

A small Sinhalese Porcupine Quill Box with a sliding lid. The panels of porcupine quill panels arranged in a chevron pattern, bordered with ebony and bone inlaid banding. Ceylonese ...

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...

Handcrafted marquetry Moorish wood inlay micro mosaic with miniature hand painted scene. Handcrafted khatam wooden box with very delicate micro mosaic marquetry from the ancient Pers...

Vizagapatam box, India, 19th century. This highly decorative and unusual Anglo-Indian table box features rustic workmanship that adds to the character and charm of this unique Sout...

Small boxes made from shells. Suitable for confetti or as containers for small precious jewels, Their cost is very little and they are very beautiful. ref. O/984 and O/1242.

19th century metamorphic camphor writing slope circa 1890. Here we have a fine quality campaign tambour table top desk made in camphor wood. Many features to this brass bound desk....

Inspired vintage Anglo Indian hinged box crafted in mahogany and clad in a faux tortoise laminate.

1920s Hand Painted East Indian Decorative Box. An antique Rajasthani Indian hand painted wood box, early 20th century. The box is handcrafted of wood and feature a hinged lid that can be opened and closed to access the contents inside. Hand painted colorful Indian box with lid depicting human figures and flowers. Style: Anglo Raj, Paint, Wood, Hand-Crafted Place of Origin: India. Anglo Raj Vintage Wooden Box Hand Painted Indian Chest Trinket 1920s. Large Trinket Box Folk Art Hand Painted Colorful Asian Jewellery Chest...

Antique Persian Khatam Marquetry Qalamdan Pen Box with Hand-Painted Equestrian Miniature, Circa 1940s An exceptional Persian Khatamkari Qalamdan (pen box), handcrafted in the celebrated tradition of Khatam-kari, one of the most prestigious decorative arts of Persia. Dating to the 1940s, this elegant rectangular sliding-lid pen case is meticulously decorated with intricate geometric micro-mosaic marquetry and crowned with a finely executed hand-painted miniature depicting a royal equestrian polo match. Traditionally used by Middle Eastern Persian scribes, scholars, and government officials to store reed pens, writing instruments, and inks, the Qalamdan became an important symbol of education, refinement, and artistic patronage. This example beautifully illustrates the marriage of functionality and exceptional craftsmanship that defines Persian decorative arts. The top lid features a richly detailed miniature painting portraying mounted horsemen pursuing deer across a stylized landscape, rendered in vibrant colors with remarkable attention to detail. The sides are decorated with exquisite Khatam marquetry, an ancient Persian micro-mosaic technique composed of thousands of tiny pieces of wood, bone, and metal meticulously assembled into intricate geometric star patterns. The interior is finished in black lacquer, while the sliding cover operates smoothly, preserving the elegant proportions characteristic of traditional Persian Qalamdans. Khatamkari has been practiced in Persia for over four centuries and remains one of the country's most labor-intensive and highly respected crafts. Similar geometric inlay traditions later spread throughout India, where they became known as Sadeli mosaic, influencing Indo-Persian and Anglo-Indian decorative arts. The extraordinary precision of the geometric patterns reflects the Islamic artistic ideals of harmony, symmetry, and infinite design. Originally intended as a writing case, this versatile piece also serves beautifully today as a jewelry box, keepsake box, pencil case, or luxury desk accessory. It is equally suited for display in a library, study, or curated collection of Islamic and Middle Eastern decorative arts. Origin: Asia Date: Circa 1940s Materials: Wood, papier-mâché, hand-painted lacquer, Khatam marquetry (micro-mosaic inlay) Style: Persian / Islamic / Indo-Persian Dimensions: Length: 8 in. Width: 1.75 in. Height: 1.25 in. Condition: Very good vintage condition with light wear consistent with age and use. Beautiful original patina with finely preserved miniature painting and Khatam inlay. An outstanding example of traditional Persian craftsmanship, this museum-quality Qalamdan is highly desirable for collectors of Islamic art, Persian antiques, miniature paintings, and Khatam marquetry. Keywords: Persian Khatam box...

Anglo Indian straw work box with diamond pattern and painted borders. This is a sweet small decorative box, very appealing design with rounded ends on a rectangular body. Unusual eye...

Large Teak Jewelry Dowry Box with Brass, Late 19th Century, India. This Teak Indian Dowry Box is adorned with Decorative Brass, showcasing exquisite c...

This lovely small round 2 part box is an early piece of the designs of MIchael Aram's work from the early 90's. It is a tooled design silver metal on the top of the box with a black...

A 19th century Mughal dowry chest with carved patterns from India. This chest wooden chest with a slanted top strengthened by metal hardware reinforcements. The front displays lightly carved geometrical friezes. A large carved geometrical medallion adorns the triangular lid. The chest rests on four conical legs. This chest opens thanks to an door on the centre of its top. This unusual item was used as a dowry chest in India. This 19th century, Indian Mughal wood dowry chest...

Fine Cloisonné Enamel Silver Pill Box A finely crafted kidney-shaped sterling silver pill box, delicately enamelled throughout in vibrant shades of cobalt blue, turquoise, burgundy...

Vintage Sajai metal and agate talisman box coin purse, Handmade in India, Handmade Sajai metal cross body purse with multi-colored agates and intric...

A beautifully crafted vintage marble box from India, dating to the 1940s–1950s. The surface is intricately inlaid with agate and other precious stones, forming an elegant floral patt...

This is a small antique apprentice-piece chest. An Anglo-Indian, carved teak Colonial keepsake box, dating to the late Victorian period, circa 1880....

Anglo Raj inlaid marble pietra dura decorative box This handmade marble decorative box is inlaid with semi precious stones, this type of design is the same art that you see in the Taj Mahal. Very nice fine pietra dura art...

Mounted with Silver From our Sewing Box collection, we are pleased to offer this Solid Coromandel Anglo Indian and Silver Sewing Box. The Sewing Box of...

19th century Kashmiri Hand Painted Trinket Box A true work of art, this mid-19th century Kashmiri handcrafted trinket box is covered in beautiful detail. Including peacocks, birds, flowers, and foliage. The hand painted detail is raised from the box with gold gilded paint and vibrant colours. The box is hinged with its original key and painted orange inside, this example would likely have been owner by a wealthy individual considering the amount of detail and craftsmanship that has gone into creating it, A rare survivor. Size of inches approx.: H 4” x W 11.5” x D 4.5” Completely solid in structure and form, with natural wear, loss of surface detail, the paint has worn away over years with damage in areas and loss of detail, The key is present however the lock does not close. The House of...

Very fine William IV tea caddy with mother of pearl inlay in rosewood ground, the overall sarcophagus form, having palm fronds and folia...

Charming petite antique Anglo Indian lidded box handcrafted in indigenous hardwoods clad in tortoise shell and decorated with elaborate lacy bone designs, featuring an etched and pai...

A beautifully decorated Indian metal box with a stone of amber on the top. 1920s or earlier There once was a fabric inside but it has disintegrated you can see it, all of the fibers ...

Beautiful handcrafted antique tinned copper decorative octagonal betel box with with lid, handle and brass latch. The metal is delicately and int...

Fine Micro Mosaic Indo Persian Moorish Inlaid Trinket Jewelry Box with Miniature Polo Scene, circa 1940s Exceptional handcrafted Indo-Persian jewelry or pen box featuring intricate Sadeli micro mosaic marquetry with inlaid geometric designs and a stunning miniature hand-painted scene on the lid. The artwork depicts 19th-century royal princes in traditional Maharaja attire playing polo, reflecting Mughal and Islamic courtly elegance. Crafted using the traditional Khatam technique, the box is richly inlaid inside and out with fine slivers of wood, bone, and metal, showcasing exceptional craftsmanship from the Middle East or India, circa 1940s. * Dimensions: H 1.75 in. x W 6.5 in. x D 4 in. * Condition: great condition; minor wear consistent with age. A museum-quality piece comparable to those in the Doris Duke Islamic Art Collection. Perfect for collectors of Islamic art, Moorish marquetry, and antique micro mosaic. Keywords: Islamic Marquetry, Sadeli Mosaic, Khatam Box...

Wonderful writing box made from a tropical hardwood Fabulous shape and plain fluted carving. It gives it a modernist appearance Probably Sri Lankan 3 secret drawers* Replaced lea...