Hand-Carved Decorative Boxes

A gorgeous clear quartz / rock crystal box with green aventurine carved frog lid by Studio Maison Nurita. Unusual and whimsical - this box boasts an incred...

Round favor Box with lid in 925/1000 Sterling Silver Light Blue Enamel Salimbeni. Favor or small container in cut crystal and lid in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with translu...

A 19th century French Provençal fariniere, or decorative box made of walnut with fine hand-carved decoration of a large flower urn. Waxed patina. This...

Pill Box Yellow floral miniature in Art Nouveau style Sterling Silver Salimbeni.Round pillbox in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with translucent...

Round favor Box lid in Sterling Silver Light yellow floral miniature Salimbeni. Wedding favor or small container in cut crystal and lid in 925/1000 sterl...

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

PRESENTING A RARE AND DESIRABLE 19C Anglo Indian Highly Carved Padouk and Mosaic Folio Cover. This is a VERY RARE piece of Anglo-Indian and British Victorian Colonial history! ...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this absolutely stunning original circa 1880 Burmese hand carved sewing box with the original contents Ple...

Indulge in the epitome of opulence with the Kleenera Tissue Holder, a creation meticulously hand-carved from pure, pristine marble. Crafted with artisanal expertise, this objet trans...

1950's Agra Indian Mother of Pearl and Black Marble Box with The Taj Mahal Inlays.Onyx Black Marble Box with Pietra Dura Intricate Mother of Pearl Inlay of the Taj Mahal.Fine Quality Mother of Pearl Inlaid Taj Mahal Box.Black marble trinket box with an inlaid image of the Taj Mahal in mother of pearl. This unusual piece has the details drawn on the mother of pearl in black ink, giving it the appearance of a micro mosaic. The surface catches the light and shows some iridescence at different angles.The Anglo Indian style box is lined with black velvet.A Very fine intricate work of Islamic Art.From Agra, India. Circa 1950's.Great gift to express your Love.DIMENSIONS: Height: 1.75 in.Width: 3.75 in.Depth: 2.75 in.About the Taj Mahal: The Taj Mahal is a world-renowned monument located in Agra, India. It is considered one of the most iconic examples of Mughal architecture and is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here's some information about the Taj Mahal: 1) History: The Taj Mahal was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in the 17th century as a mauseum for his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1632 and was completed in 1653. 2) Architecture: The Taj Mahal combines elements of Islamic, Persian, Ottoman Turkish, and Indian architectural styles. It is primarily made of white marble, with intricate inlay work using semi-precious stones. The central structure is a large dome surrounded by four minarets at each corner. 3) Symbism: The Taj Mahal is often regarded as a symb of love. It was built as a testament to Emperor Shah Jahan's eternal love for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The gardens and reflecting po in front of the Taj Mahal add to its romantic ambiance. 4) Location: The Taj Mahal is situated on the right bank of the Yamuna River in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. Agra is located approximately 200 kilometers (125 miles) southeast of India's capital, New Delhi. 5) Visitors: The Taj Mahal attracts millions of visitors from around the world each year. It is open to the public, except on Fridays when it is reserved for Islamic prayers...

Pill Box oval with floral miniature Art Nouveau style Sterling Silver Salimbeni in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with hand-painted fire-enamel...

Great condition for its age. No major losses or damage. Has original sewing pieces inside.

Rectangular snuffbox in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with fine hand-engraving Baroque style on the lid, with fired enamel black type “niello”. Measurements cm. 4,3 x 7 x 2. W...

Lined in Royal Blue Padded Velvet From our Boxes collection, we are pleased to offer this Art Deco Macassar Ebony Box. The box of slim rectangular form with an inset scene featuring...

PRESENTING A LOVELY 19C Anglo Indian Highly Carved Padouk Wood with Sadeli Mosaic Inlay Sewing Box. Made in Bombay, India, circa 1880. The box is made of sandalwood with highly carved raised padouk wood panels on all sides, depicting temple scenes, animals and foliage. The box is in a sarcophagus form. It is edged in bone (and we can tell it is bone and not ivory, from the color and evidence of capillaries, which are not found in ivory), and banded with Bombay Sadeli mosaic and ebony veneer. The lid opens to reveal a removable tray with various open compartments and lidded compartments. 5 lidded compartments, 1 unlidded compartment and 8 holders for thimbles, etc The tray lifts to reveal a blue velvet (original) lined section, for storing jewelry etc, with sections for collars etc. The inside of the lid has a removable mirror (the mirror is missing on this one but can easily be replaced). Behind the mirror is the original green velvet lining. It has its original brass carry handles on the sides and sits on 4 silvered button feet (of recent origin). Some repairs to the exterior and condition issues (priced accordingly), but still a LOVELY COLLECTIBLE box! 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! 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...

Indulge in the epitome of opulence with the Kleenera Tissue Holder, a creation meticulously hand-carved from pure, pristine marble. Crafted with artisanal expertise, this objet trans...

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...

Pill Box Baroque shaped with pastoral miniature Sterling Silver Salimbeni .Baroque shaped pill-box with hand engravings and green fire enamel, with hand painted enameled miniature of...

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

Table Box Green in French Empire Louis XVI style Sterling Silver Salimbeni. Table box in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with translucent fired enamel inserted in a very fine ha...

A sculptural lidded vessel by Los Angeles based ceramic studio LGS Ceramics. This beautiful object has a gorgeous glaze in tones of grayish blue with...

Rectangular table box with rounded corners in 925/1000 sterling silver with fire-enamelled Art Deco design. Dimensions cm. 10.4 x 13.4 x 3.2. Weight gr. 530. Designed by Giorgio Sali...

Rounded square pill box in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with white fired enamel, above and below, with hand painted horse head. Dimensions cm. 5.2 x 5.2 x 2.3. Weight gr. 117. Designed by Franco Salimbeni in 1966 on the inspiration of previous artefacts made in the English Art Nouveau style of the early 1900s and manufactured in the Salimbeni company headquarters in Florence in numerous specimens also with different subjects, with completely manual execution by artisan artists with a slab of high thickness suitable for supporting numerous enamelled firings at around 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...

Very nice early wooden box, made in Austria, Central Europe. The box was made in the Gründerzeit period, how we call it in Europe, in this case around 1890. There are some interest...

PRESENTING A GORGEOUS 19C Anglo Indian Highly Carved Padouk and Sandalwood Sadeli Mosaic Sarcophagus Sewing Box. Made in Bombay, India circa 1860-80. Box made of sandalwood with highly carved padouk wood reliefs and panels on all sides. Edged with bone and ebony veneers and glorious sadeli mosiac, 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...

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 c...

A sculptural multi-purpose container, handcrafted in the Puebla region of Mexico with a regard for the textures, colors, and ancestral powers inherent in the Volcanic Rock. This lege...

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...

Round table box in 925/1000 sterlin silver gold plated with fired enamels, with “paillons” in pure gold on the upper circle, fine fired enamelled miniature with hand-painted floral i...

Egg on tripod with folding photo frame for 6 photos, inside, in 925/1000 sterling Silver gold plated, with translucent fired enamels on guillochè. ...

Rectangular table snuff box with 2 slightly rounded sides in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with translucent fired enamels on guillochè and hand-painted floral miniature; oute...

Nice condition for its age. Does not have key. Has original sewing box utensils inside - spools, etc.

Table box in the shape of a four-leaf clover in sterling silver 925/1000 gold plated and real malachite stone petals. Dimensions cm. 12 x 12 x 2.5 . Silver weight gr. 340. Designed b...

A Fantastic 19th century French Louis XVI Style Dore Bronze Mounted Blue Opaline Crystal Box. The box is composed of two sections of French opaline crystal which are mounted to a fab...

Incredible workmanship and amazingly intricate, antique Napoleon II box, mid 1800s When it comes to collectible and high value boxes, this little, fit-for-a-king gem from the 1850s is right up there with the rarest and most beautiful we ever saw. We know it should not be THE reason why you would purchase something of this quality and beauty, but with ever fewer craftsman being able to create anything remotely great, the value of this type of antique can...

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 Car...

This intricately hand carved black-stained box is made from reclaimed wood. It's a beautifully textured accent piece perfect for any home decor. Use it purely as a decorative object ...

A sculptural centerpiece handcrafted in the Puebla region of Mexico with a regard for the textures, colors, and ancestral powers inherent in the Volcanic Rock. This legendary Materia...

Rare Switzerland mahogany & ebonized hinged music box with the original crank, three interior paper labels, and cylinders. Music box is stamped by maker and is In working condition, ...

Antique Rajasthani Shekhawati Merchant's Footed Chest Box India 1900's. Early 20th Century Indian carved wood storage cash footed box used by merchants in ...

This is a very unique black wooden box with gold hand painted gilt. The wood is thick in the structure is carved beautifully it’s feels like your holding a box for the crown jewels. ...

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 intricately hand carved box is made from reclaimed wood. It's a beautifully textured accent piece perfect for any home decor. Use it purely as a decorative object or to store yo...

Beautifully decorated hand carved, painted and lacquered, hinged wig box with chinoiserie theme gilding and paint design. Chinese red painted interior. Bras...

Rectangular pocket snuff box with oval section in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with translucent fired enamel on guillochè, with laurel ornament in relief in Empire style. Wit...

Wonderful midcentury handmade birchwood maple leaf-shaped centrepiece. This beautiful piece is signed by Macabo on the back and it was probably designed by Aldo Tura in the 1950s in ...

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

This is a hand made tea caddy Lidded box in the shape of an Apple, made from hardwood and dating to the 19th century. The Apple shaped box has a hinged lid with a short hand carve...

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

19th century Italian Confraternity Voting Urn of Tuscan origin realized with turned and carved poplar wood. The barrel-shaped central body, in which hands were inserted to insert the ballot ball into one of the two holes connected to the small drawer below, where on the front we find the inscription YES and NO related to voting, SI and NO, in order to distinguish for and against votes on paper, then collected in two separate small drawers, just below. Standing on four curly feet, it has a beautiful curved handle and carved parts at both ends, highlighted by ebonized details. In a fraternity, this ballot box was used to collegially adjudicate community choices. In good age related condition, with sogns of wear and use. This antique Italian ballot wooden box, carved and painted, coming from Tuscany, in Central Italy. This ballot urn is an excellent example of a 19th century wooden voting box...

Florentine leather casket Italy, Tuscany 16th century leather, iron and wood. Very rare boiled leather box incised on a wooden core; iron lock. The central shield is divide...

Rectangular table box with rounded corners in 925/1000 sterling silver brossè with very fine hand engraving, also on the sides, of “ramage” with leaves and bunches of grapes fire-ena...

Round favor box with lid in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with translucent fired enamel on guillochè and hand-painted miniature of a bouquet of flowers in Art Nouveau style. B...

This antique decorative box is unsigned, but presumed to have originated from China, and date to approximately 1920 and done in a period Chinese...

A Pietra Dura brass box. Beautiful antique little box, created probably in Napoles, Italy as a treasure chest, circa 1880s. It was crafted in solid gilded brass with nice Baroque ...

Folk art desk barrel box. Very unusual piece of folk art, created around the 1930. This is a mechanical desk barrel box carved in wood and decorated with painting. Shown a man dre...

Rectangular Table Box with rounded corners in 925/1000 sterling silver with fire Enamel Art Deco design. Dimensions cm. 9 x 11 x 2.8. Weight gr. 324. Designed by Giorgio Salimbeni in...

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...