Carved Decorative Boxes

Mid-century Chinese carved wooden box featuring an elaborate scenic design with a hinged top and brass closure hardware. (Stamped HUNG HOP CHEST CO. HONG...

France / 1900 / sewing box / oak / antique / rococo A large French antique sewing box in oak hand crafted in France around 1900. This beautiful ...

Betel Nut is consumed on a daily basis in a large portion of the Indonesian Archipelago. In Sumba, like many parts of Indonesia betel nut was offered as a sign of respect and hospita...

This elegant jewellery box from the Boucher & Co Collection was completely handmade in the Boucher & Co workrooms in Toowoomba, Australia. The design of this special piece was insp...

X-Small egg in 925/1000 gilded silver with translucent enamel on fire on guilloché in Russian Art Nouveau style, inspired by the eggs of Carl Fabergé late 19th century, early 20th c...

French Louis XVI-style (19/20th century) bronze dore rectangular shaped jewel box with round plaque of lady and man.     

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

Dome Topped Stationary Box From our Boxes collection, we are delighted to offer this Victorian Hungarian Ash Stationery Box by Howell James & Co. The Stationary Box is veneered to t...

An early 19th century French Provençal fariniere, or decorative flour box made of walnut with simple linear decoration of wheat and a flower urn. Waxed patina. This beautifully craft...

Late 19th century Qing lacquer and hand-carved varnished wood decorative box, China By: unknown Material: wood, lacquer Technique: carved, hand-carved, hand-crafted, lacquered, varn...

A highly decorative wine cooler in the Graeco-Roman taste Of cylindrical form, constructed in well figured oak, supported by tripartite feet, of complex winged foot form, with brass castors under: the body with a lobed lower rim, with a running anthemion design over, and surmounted by a pattern of running studded bosses in the upper reserve. The hinged cover with a carved Greek key motif, further anthemions above and capped with a lotus bud finial. The interior is now baize lined. The four lever lock...

Rare 18th century perhaps earlier hard wood coffer, circa 1790. Presented in original un-restored condition.  Original handles and metal work to outer edges. Lid opens on ringed ha...

Dimensions : Rectangular: 25 x 8 x 5 cm // 9.8" x 3.1" x 1.9" Square: 16 x 16 x 10 cm // 6,25" x 6,25" x 3,9" The shape of the inactive Tronador volcano reminded us of the pyram...

Antique North African Moroccan tribal wood flask. Rare late 19th century powder flask box from the Rif, Northern Morocco with a drum-shaped body hand carved wood with ethnic motifs, nice geometric carvings and very fine patina. Collector large carved wooden vessel with brass embossed in the shape of a turtle with a long neck. Dimensions: 11"L x 3" H x 5" diameter. Designed with practicality in mind, this flask features two robust metal rings on the side, perfect for securely attaching it to a belt or satchel, making it an ideal companion for hunting. The upper, narrower section includes a precisely drilled hole, providing easy access to the powder inside, underscoring the flask's functional yet artistic design. This wood gunpowder flask...

Antique treen 'barrel form' softwood box or caddy - lovely rich patina - lathe turned pine - reddish brown stain - scored bands to the top and bottom - l...

Round snuff box in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with translucent fired enamels on guillochè and hand-painted floral miniature, surrounded by a frame with leaves on a blue bac...

This box is a jewelry box or a decorative box. It was made in the 1970s, in France. Its lid is made of a carved elephant. It is brown in color.

A beautiful and top condition antique black forest jewelry box, carved on all sides. This rare and large jewelry box makes a beautiful accessory for a lady with an eye for fine arts. It is a very well fine carved gem and highly practical with a good working lock and key. The detailed leafs, branches and flowers on top and the marvelous blue...

Shaped pillbox in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with hand-painted miniature in Louis XVI style, second half of the 19th century, and fine hand engravings. Measure cm. 3,5 x 4,...

Swedish 'Timplåda' Wooden Box, dated 1824 A 'timplåda' is a traditional Swedish wooden box, handcrafted with care. Popular during the 18th and 19th centuries, these boxes were used ...

Shaped pill box in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with hand-painted miniature fire enamelled in Louis XVI style, second half of the 19th century, and fine hand engravings. Siz...

Rectangular rounded pill box in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with hand painted miniature fire-enamelled in Louis XVI style, second half of the 18th century, and fine hand-eng...

Mid 18th century Scandinavian baroque oak iron bound box circa 1720. Characterful oval shaped box profusely covered with iron edging and strap work.  This piece has taken on a great...

Pink and light blue crystal box with cut engravings embellished with brass detail made with the artisan lost wax technique with patinated silver finish. Each object is handcrafted an...

Vintage Asian Silver Metal Hand-Carved Sitar Veena Box. Elevate your decor with this stunning vintage box, featuring intricate hand-carved designs of a sitar and peacock. The ornate ...

Ghau is a prayer box worn as pendant by Buddhists as portable shrines which can be pray by prayer during their travel. This large Ghau prayer box (travel Buddha...

1980s green carved soapstone decorative box. Carved elephant motif across the lid of the box. No makers mark or signature.

Pill Box Floral miniature and fine hand-engravings Art Nouveau style Salimbeni.Shaped pillbox in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with translucen...

French Modern Specimen Hardwood Carved Conch Shell Motif Box France, Later 20th Century Realistically carved and modeled of book-matched hardwood as...

Charming antique wooden box carved in the shape of a standing beaver, with simple yet expressive lines. Crafted in the Black Forest style, this unique piece is composed of two interl...

This exquisite hand-carved wooden jewelry box features a beautifully stylized depiction of a kingfisher bird. The octagonal box showcases intricate craftsmanship, with the bird motif...

A Gujarati Timber and Pressed Tin Dowry Box, Early 20th Century Provenance: Private Australia Collection. Description: The modestly sized timber dowry box with rivete...

Round leaf design box Black lacquer Hand-carved Wood base Limited edition In stock. Lacquer is a technique that dates back to the Shang dynasty, circa 1600-1100 B.C. These pieces ar...

France / 1900 / sewing box / wood, fabric / Art Deco / Mid-century / Vintage Very decorative French sewing box with graphical carvings and a yellow ...

Snuff Box Snuff Box Venetian landscape is in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated 24 carats.. Snuff Box Snuff Box Venetian landscape has translucent fired enamel on guilloche and min...

Shaped snuff box in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with perforated, embossed and hand-engraved lid, with a fine round miniature, diameter 3.8 cm, hand-painted in tempera on veg...

Shaped pill box in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with hand painted miniature with fire enamelling in Louis XVI style, second half of the 19th century, and fine hand engravings...

Mid-20th century wooden box with silver bow/knot lid by french brand Hermès Paris By: Hermès Paris Material: fabric, silver, wood, leather, metal, silver plate Technique: cast, plat...

Rectangular box with rounded corners in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with translucent fired enamel on guillochè with hand-engraved and enamelled Arab-style ornament. Dimensio...

These unique Tilcara bottles are made with silver alpaca, giving them a sophisticated and elegant look. The lids are adorned with beautiful onyx stones, adding a touch of luxury to t...

It is a carved wooden box, brown and black. One part is hand carved, the other Painted lacquered. It was made in China during the 1930s and 1940s, so it is from the Republic period.

A captivating and finely crafted vintage Moroccan box, made circa 1900, fashioned from richly figured burled Amboyna wood. Designed in the form of a stacked set of antique books, thi...

Octagonal table box in 925/1000 sterling silver with fire-enamelled Art Deco design. Dimensions diameter cm. 15.8 high cm . 8.2. Weight gr. 974. Designed by Giorgio Salimbeni for Cartier USA in the 1980s, inspired by objects designed by Louis Cartier around 1920 and manufactured in Florence in various specimens, also in parure with other objects and in different colors, in the headquarters by the Salimbeni firm with completely manual execution by artisan artists with thick slab and large reinforcements suitable for withstanding numerous high-fire enamelled firings at about 750°<800° C. About cooperation Salimbeni and Cartier. Our first meetings with the Cartier USA Company took place through the Giorgini Company, the first "Buying Office" set up in Florence immediately after the Second World War, which had the purpose of bringing together Florentine, and also Italian, producers with American buyers, who especially appreciated the artistic objects still manufactured by artisans who still took inspiration from the Italian Renaissance, using techniques handed down from generation to generation. Mrs. Gina Pestelli, wife of a Florentine retail jeweller, was in charge of contacts with Cartier USA, above all an employee, while her daughter, also for Giorgini, took care of the fashion that in those years was affirmed in Florence with the events of "Pitti ". With their help, we began to supply frames and boxes in sterling silver gold plated with malachite and other semi-precious stones. At the same time, the official buyer of Cartier, Mr. William Smith, began to appreciate and commission the first objects with fired enamels, a process of which we have always been specialists. In 1975 we began exhibiting at the prestigious New York Jewellery Association Show, which we participated in both the February and July editions, for a good 26 years until 2001. In New York in those years the "Art deco style" was still very much appreciated, still mindful of the beautiful early 20th century architecture of the great buildings such as the "Crysler" or the "Empire State". We then began to produce frames, boxes, evening bags, "objets de vertu" and other objects in "art deco style" which were very popular with Mr. Smith who gave us some photocopies of Louis Francois Cartier drawings to reproduce them. Thus, numerous cigarette cases, powder compacts, evening bags, frames and table boxes were created exclusively for Cartier USA which, at the time, had the prestigious "Silver Department" on the first floor of the Cartier store on Fifth Avenue. An evening bag, with matching cigarette case and powder compact, were redone on the design created for a gift given to Mary Pickford at the time. In a 1986 Cartier...

An Indian small wooden box from the 19th century, with iron hardware and carved rosacea. Created in India during the 19th century, this wooden box fea...

Spanish Colonial style painted and gilt wood table top vargueno, a chest with eight drawers and four doors with iron drop pulls. A sweet little chest with a lot of personality, decor...

Mid-century Chinese carved wooden box featuring an elaborate scenic design with a hinged top and brass closure hardware. (Stamped HUNG HOP CHEST CO. HONG...

This exquisite 1.2-lb creation is crafted from the finest rare honey calcite onyx sourced from Pakistan. Hand made by a master artisan in Italy, showcasing beautiful patterns and ban...

An early 19th century French boite à sel, or salt box, made of solid oak. Hinged lid with tacked leather tabs. A simple handcrafted box with nice proportio...

A late Qing Dynasty period wedding box from the early 20th century, this piece exudes charm with its traditional design and intricate carvings. The box features an appealing hexagona...

Spectacular table box with inward corners in gold-plated 925/1000 sterling silver with translucent enamel fired on guilloche, in Art Nouveau style, and in the center a fine rectangul...

Rounded rectangular snuffbox in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with beautiful fire enamelled miniature hand painted by the painter Simone Dainelli inspired by the paintings of Boris Vallejo, in fantastic contemporary style, with hand-engraved frame. Designed by Franco Salimbeni in 1967 and manufactured in Florence in numerous specimens with various subjects and different colors, in the headquarters of the Salimbeni company with completely manual execution by artisan artists with thick slab and large reinforcements suitable for withstanding numerous high-fire enamelled firings at about 800° C. Miniature is a very ancient technique which consists of painting works in small proportions. It was born for the decoration of the first letter of the paragraph of the books. Over the years, however, this technique is refined and enriched, then moving on to precious personal items. hand painted miniatures can be done with multiple different techniques. The most important that we use on our articles are of three kinds: 1) Fire enamel. 2) Water tempera on an ivory plate. 3) Painted on mother-of-pearl. Fire enameled miniatures: On a first layer of enamel generally white or very clear or even transparent suitably liquefied at a temperature of about 750 ° C, the chosen subject is painted using miniature colors which are as many colored crystals, ground and reduced to a very fine, almost impalpable powder washed and purified in distilled water with the addition of small quantities of deoxidizing acids which, diluted with essential oils (usually essential oil of solder), can be mixed to form a palette of colors. With very fine sable hair brushes you draw the subject starting from the perimeter and then gradually adding various layers of color. It is necessary to carry out various firings very often so that the colors harden and are not absorbed by the underlying glaze as, during the subsequent firings at 750 ° C, during liquefaction, it would spread irremediably. Hence the need to form the painting a little at a time, cooking it numerous times. Therefore it is necessary to proceed with numerous retouching, often overlapping different colors that only the painter's experience knows. A beautiful miniature needs from 20 to over 50 firings and is finished when the painter deems he does not have to further intervene. Some colors must have darker tones than others because then, by superimposing the transparent enamel placed at the end of the miniature, they fade. This transparent layer, called “fondant” in jargon, must be smoothed and polished like all other translucent enamel colors. The miniatures with water tempera colors are painted on real ivory...

Exquisite vintage tissue box made of solid sheesham wood with exotic brass inlays. handcrafted by Indian artisans, the box has a stylized hand carve...

Round table snuffbox in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with translucent blue fired enamel on guillochè and with the insertion of pure gold “paillons” in the shape of stars to create a starry sky effect. With turquoise enamel circle with hand-engraved motif. Late 1600s Baroque style. Diameter cm. 7.7 cm high. 2.3. Weight gr. 226. Designed by Franco Salimbeni in 1967 and produced in Florence in several specimens in the Salimbeni company headquarters with manual workmanship by skilled artisan artists with thick slab and large reinforcements suitable for withstanding numerous enamelled firings at high heat at about 800° C - The Paillons processing, now almost disappeared, and a rare technique recognized as a craft. Several layers of enamel are applied to the object, baked one by one in the oven. Afterwards, the designs cut out of thin gold leaves, the paillons foils, are applied one by one by hand to form the desired figure. These sheets are then in turn coated...

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...

This adorable box, shaped like a woven basket, is crowned with three lively carved terriers, each with expressive features, shining glass eyes, and a lovingly detailed coat. The craf...

A 19th century French boite à sel, or salt box from Provence. Made of walnut with a pierced carved star at the top and a drawer with brass knob. Waxed fini...

Pill Box Silver is in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated 24 carats. Pill Box Silver is Rectangular with translucent fired enamels on guilloché. Pill Box Silver has a hand-painted m...

Salimbeni Pillbox in 925/1000 sterling Silver, oval section with lid with lost hinge, that is, semi-invisible. Salimbeni Pillbox has guilloche with Art Deco early 20th century styl...

An antique Indian wooden document box from the 19th century with incised diamond motifs and wave patterns and partitioned interior. This 19th-century Indian wooden document box is a testament to the exquisite craftsmanship and rich heritage of Indian artisanship. Adorned with incised diamond motifs and undulating wave patterns, its surface tells a story of meticulous attention to detail and a deep appreciation for aesthetic form. The metal accents that punctuate its exterior not only enhance its visual appeal but also add to its structural integrity, offering a striking contrast against the warm tones of the wood. The interior, thoughtfully partitioned, speaks to the box's original purpose of safeguarding valuable documents and keepsakes. Today, it stands as a versatile decorative piece that could serve multiple functions in a contemporary home. It could be a rustic accent on a study desk, holding pens and stationery, or a unique storage solution on a hallway console for keys and small items. Alternatively, placed on a coffee table or bookshelf, it could store remotes or serve as a conversation-starting decorative object. Beyond its utility, this antique document box...

The shape of the inactive Tronador volcano reminded us of the pyramid shaped idea of our boxes that make up this collection. With a rectangular or square base, the box is a reflectio...