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...

Lovely quill box Ebony and porcupine quill Good condition Free UK shipping. PLEASE NOTE only available in the UK . Because of the ivory content the item needs a Cites certificate...

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...

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...

Tree Full of Parrots Trinket Box in Brass & Semi Precious Stone, Viya by Vikram Goyal A tree full of parrots is a sign of success in aspirations and future endeavours. According to the 17th century Indian manuscript...

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...

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...

Impressive Anglo Indian British colonial style lidded box crafted in mahogany and decorated with bone faux quills and dots having two working keys.

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 ...

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...

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...

Hand-carved Anglo Raj early 20th century carved wood box richly decorated overall with arabesques and floral carving. Hinged lid shallow relief carving with interior lined with red r...

Large Asian decorative wooden jewelry box with brass overlay. Large ethnic Indian hand painted decorative jewelry wood box with brass metal hammere...

Superb Ceylonese porcupine quill lidded pot in a most unusual conical shape Fashioned in dark wood and decorated with quill pieces All quills are present and in excellent order. Int...

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...

Ivory and blue chevron decorative trinket rectangular lidded box inlaid with white bone and resin on wood. Large stylish Moorish trinket lidded box with bone and wood inlaid handcraf...

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...

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...

A very attractive vintage inlaid rosewood Indian jewelry box. The hinged box made is from solid figured rosewood and finely and is sumptuously inla...

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

Campaign Box Carved Gentleman's British Army WW2 Regimental Arms Beautifully stylized and masterfully carved wooden box of floral and fruit foliage bas-rel...

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 ...

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...

Antique Anglo-Indian Silver-Plated Figural Stag Covered Box, British Raj Period This elegant Anglo-Indian silver-plated covered box is modeled as a reclining stag and crafted in two...

Presenting an absolutely stunning 19c Anglo Ceylonese sewing box of museum quality. Made in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) circa 1860, this is one of the finest sewing boxes of it’s kind that we have ever seen! The box is made from coromandel wood (an exotic hardwood found in Ceylon) and has a serpentine edging all over the front, back and sides. Very often the lids/tops of these boxes suffer cracks due to shrinkage but this one is near perfect with no crack in the lid/top. There is some evidence of natural shrinkage but that is around the edges of the lid/top. It is when you open this box that it reveals it’s true beauty, quality and treasure ! The inside of the lid/top is heavily and beautifully decorated with inlaid bone in scrolling floral patterns which have then been hand painted with red and black ‘lac’ ink. The central medallion is a circle of inlaid specimen exotic hardwoods radiating towards a central bone and hand painted flower. The circle is edged in bone, wood and silver chevrons. What makes this box Exceptionally rare is that it contains 3 lift out base sections. Normally, there would be a maximum of 2. The first tray/section is clearly for the purposes ancillary to sewing with a pair of sections with bone spools for thread etc. There are 17 other lidded compartments with each one highly decorated using hand painted bone and specimen woods to replicate tortoiseshell. The first tray lifts out to reveal a second removeable tray which is made up of a pair of open sections and 8 specimen wood lidded sections each with chevron banding. The third tray is a smaller tray underneath with 14 lidded compartments each with hand painted bone and specimen wood inlaid lids again, replicating the look of tortoiseshell. Again they are banded with a chevron border. This is a museum quality piece ! It is in fantastic condition for it’s age with the minor shrinkage to the edges of the lid/top, some finger pulls missing and some very minor cracks to the tray lids and bases but nothing that in any way detracts from the piece. No key. Dimensions: Closed the box is 16.75 inches wide, 11.25 inches deep and 7.5 inches high Fully open the box is 16.5 inches high, 16.75 inches wide and 11.4 inches deep Anglo-Indian and ceylonese boxes: 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. Anglo-Indian boxes normally consist of 3 main types:- (1) Most of the best and highest quality Anglo-Indian boxes in the 18th and 19th centuries were made in Vizagapatam, India, renowned for its exquisite craftsmanship in using ivory and tortoiseshell and lac decoration. These are referred to as ‘Vizagapatam Boxes...

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...

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

An Anglo-Indian table top stationery cabinet, or secretary, in pale padouk wood with string inlay and bone decoration to front and sides, and two doors over two drawers with bone kno...

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...

Anglo Indian rectangular porcupine quill, bone and parquetry box. The box with a hinged lid that opens to reveal embossed red velvet lining and a decorated wood panel...

A fine antique 19th-Century British Colonial porcupine quill and ebony box, made in Ceylon the colonial name for Sri Lanka. This fine hand crafted box has a sliding lid and is decora...

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...

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...

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...

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...

A 19th century small Indian dowry box on wheels with fitted compartments. The door at the top that slides to the side. The fitted interior has a small...

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 ...

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...

Celestial Tissue Box Black Large in Lacquer Wood & Brass, Viya By Vikram Goyal Whether it’s the dense, intricate patterns of clouds on the walls of the Badal Mahal, Rajasthan or...

PRESENTING A GORGEOUS 19C Anglo Indian Highly Carved Sadeli Mosaic Sarcophagus Sewing Box. Made in Bombay, India circa 1860-80. Box made of sandalwood with highly carved teak wood reliefs and panels on all sides. Edged with bone and ebony veneers and glorious sadeli mosaic, made from tiny pieces of faux ivory, pewter, green semi-precious stone. The box is in a sarcophagus form with domed lid. The original brass carry handles are on the sides. The interior is in great condition and consists of a removeable mirror under the lid portion, with the original red velvet lining behind it. The base is removeable and contains a number of lidded compartments. 6 of the interior lids on the base, are each inlaid with sadeli mosaic banding. The rest are also carved and chased. The interior is fully complete with 7 lidded faux ivory/bone, thread canisters with sadeli domes and the original bone thimble. The box sits on 4 brass ball or bun feet with the original velvet lining on the base. Some minor repairs and losses, but this box is fully complete. This is ‘rare’ as many of these boxes have not survived in such condition! Included in the sale are 2 photos that were in the box (under the base tray). Interestingly, one of them is a view of downtown Nassau, New Providence (Bermuda) from the early 20C and stamped on the rear. What a ‘journey’ this piece has made! Made in India … travelled to Bermuda, probably via Britain … back to Ireland (where we bought it) …. then to Texas! These boxes were made by superb Indian craftsmen, specifically for sale to the ruling British elite. These types of boxes, carved padouk and sandalwood, (whilst beautiful and superbly crafted) were of a lesser quality, than the more profusely and intricately mosaic inlay, tortoiseshell and ivory boxes, made for the British ‘Upper Classes’ in the areas of Bombay and Vizagapatam. These type of boxes were much more affordable back in 1880 (and indeed today) and would probably have been bought by mid-level diplomats, civil servants or visitors. Sewing boxes (in general), were in EVERY Victorian home in Britain in the 19th Century and like other boxes etc were ‘status symbols’ of your place in society! The more ornate the box, the more ‘Upper Class’ you were! Of it’s type, this one, is one of the very higher quality one’s, than the norm! 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...

Decorative Mughal Raj Vizagapatam Carved Veneered Bone Jewelry Rectangular shape Box. Vintage Asian lidded box crafted with bone finely engraved and hand painted in black with geometric Moorish designs. Delightful Anglo Indian footed box crafted with an intricate patterned polished bone inlay mosaic over a wood frame. Handmade in Vizagapatam, India, mid 20th century. Elegant intricate pattern. A true work of Islamic artwork...

Vintage South Asian / Kashmir hand painted papier mâché box with removeable lid - featuring a profuse floral pattern over the top and sides set against a black lacquer background - h...

Asian antique Beaten Brass Betel Nut Pandan Box, Northern India. Beautiful antique hand hammered Asian round brass betel with a lid and delicate engravings with floral design handle hand crafted by skilled artisans from Northern India. Indian Beaten Copper Betel Nut Pandan Box with hand hammered beaten floral and incised decoration used to store betel leaf, lime, tobacco and the nut from the areca palm. This mixture of ingredients when prepared and placed in the mouth for long periods gives the user a mild aphrodisiac effect. The preparation of the betel nut with lime stored in ornate boxes with several smaller internal containers was popular all over Asia and is still a common practice in Myanmar and India and among the hill tribes of many S. E. Asian countries. Engraved with intricate designs on the lid which has a carved floral design handle and a latch in front for opening or closing the box and for safekeeping. Nicely hand-hammered with intricate details. Please check photo #5, there is about 1 inch damage area on the side of the box. Museum quality Asian Hand-hammered decorative Islamic brass folk art metalwork collector treasure box. Measures: Diameter 7 in. x Height 4 in. The box has a rich, deep brown patina. Quality of Mughal style. A pandan was used to store the pan, or betel quid after it had been stuffed and rolled ready to eat, rather than for the individual ingredients. The chewing of betel is an ancient Asian tradition comparable to tobacco in the western world. Betel consists of three main ingredients: the areca nut, betel leaf and lime paste. Betel was, and still is enormously popular throughout Asia and plays a major role in the entertaining of guests, in courtship and marriage, and in the traditional etiquette of the royal courts, where it often forms part of the state regalia.[1] Research on several pandan boxes has been published by Zebrowski.[2] Brownrigg, H. Betel Cutters...

Collectible Chinese Tibetan Gilt Brass Metal Filigree with Turquoise and Coral beads round Box Handcrafted round Tibetan, Nepalese decorative brass trinket wish box with pull-off lid...

Antique Anglo Indian pair of tea caddies with silvered metal tops having elephant handles over coconut bowls above carved ebony elephants with bone tusk...

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 South Indian Malabar Dowry Jewelry Box, 19th Century Teak with Brass – Kerala, India A rare and collectible South Indian dowry box from Kerala...

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...

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

1950s Anglo Indian Micro Sadeli Mosaic Inlaid Jewelry Box. DIMENSIONS: 7ʺW × 7ʺD × 2.5ʺH. Indo Persian Moorish style micro mosaic inlaid jewelry box with lid. Intricate inlaid Anglo ...

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...

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

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...

An Indian silver plated metal box from the 19th century with pierced foliage motifs. Created in India during the 19th century, this silver plated metal box attracts our attention wit...

This is a small vintage keepsake box. An Indian, teak storage case with carved finish, dating to the late Art Deco period, circa 1940. Petite a...

Hand-carved large wooden Anglo-Raj jewelry box. Early 20th century wood box richly decorated overall with arabesques and floral carving. Hinged lid shallow relief carving with interi...

1920s Anglo-Raj Hand-Painted Rajasthani Dowry Box A striking early 20th-century Anglo-Raj decorative wooden box, hand-painted and richly detailed with romantic and courtly scenes. Or...

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

Beautiful hand-crafted polished brass footed box with with lid, latch and handle intricately hand-hammered with geometric designs and pierced with holes. Vintage pierced decorative Mughal Indian style brass box from India...

Antique handcrafted wooden Persian khatam pen box. This Pen Box is completely Khatam handmade design very detailed fine work in and out. Middle Eastern Persian...