Petite Antique Anglo Indian Bone and Tortoise Box

Lofty antique British colonial lidded box handcrafted in indigenous hardwood clad in tortoise shell and decorated with intricate bone designs, featuring an etched and painted center ...

Impressive antique Anglo Indian box crafted in mahogany, clad in tortoise shell, and ambitiously decorated with bone. The inside has a mirror and red felt lining.

Enchanting antique Anglo Indian lidded box, handcrafted in mahogany and clad in tortoise shell. Ambitiously decorated with applied floral bone designs including a center medallion of...

Impressive Anglo Indian box crafted in mahogany and clad in tortoise shell decorated with bone straps, carved and painted floral panels, and paw feet. The inside has a mirror and bon...

Tortoise shell decorative box with bun feet. We have other tortoise boxes similar in form that would be a lovely collection. Feel free to call or email with questions. Priced per b...

Nice and unusual Indian Mughal style large decorative box, filigree and carved horn. Anglo-Indian footed domed box with exceptional engraved details throughout with filigree and carved veneered bone plaques with arabesque carving. Vizagapatam, late 19th century. History of the Anglo-Indian Boxes Beginning in the early part of the 18th century, Indian artisans made what came to be known as Anglo-Indian boxes for the English residents living in India, who eventually brought or sent them back to England. At the beginning of the 19th century, India began exporting these boxes commercially, although not in any significant numbers until the 1850s. People valued them so highly that manufacturers of tins copied the designs on them in the late 19th and early 20th century. Anglo-Indian boxes fall into four groups: Rosewood or ebony boxes inlaid; sandalwood boxes veneered; sandalwood boxes covered with Sadeli mosaic; and carved boxes often combined with Sadeli mosaic/ The first two categories came from Vizagapatam in East India while the last two came from Bombay in West India. English traders discovered the rich woods and intricate workmanship of Indian artisans, so colonial government officials began to recognize the work of the Indian artists and craftsmen as a source for satisfying the need for furniture and boxes, which would both serve to enhance English households in India. This gave rise to the cabinetmaking workshops in Vizagapatam between Calcutta and Madras. Craftsmen made the first boxes to be decorated with Sadeli mosaic of rosewood or ebony, incised to give further definition to the decoration, directly inlaid into the wood. The shape of the early boxes was either sloping at the front with a flatter section at the back, reminiscent of English writing slopes, or rectangular. Artisans inlaid the borders with stylized floral scrolls and the centers with a single floral motif following a circular or oval symmetrical or asymmetrical pattern. The edging was ornamental and protective, both helped protect the end grain against the weather. Made in Vizagapatam, situated on the south east coast of India, near Madras These exotic boxes...

Metal decorative box with bone and stone inlay. The exterior of the box showcases a mosaic bone inlay adorned with turquoise and red stones set in pewter. The inside of the box is li...

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 ...