Hand-Carved Decorative Boxes

A French dore bronze mounted blue opalescent and dore bronze finial covered box. This round form box is very unusual with a blue opalescent color and dore bronze mount. The top is fi...

Shaped snuffbox in gold-plated 925/1000 sterling silver with translucent fired enamels on a guilloche pattern and a hand-painted floral miniature, with fine hand-engravings on the si...

7.5" x 3.5" x2" 8" x 4" x2.3" 9" x4.5" x 2.5" Tafi oval box, it is made entirely by hand in alpaca metal and onyx stone. It comes in three different sizes and you can choose between...

Exceptional 19th century French coconut trinket box hand carved with acanthus leaves on the lid, jewelry like metal work on the rims, expertly carved neoclassical motifs all around a...

A lovely 19th century oak lidded-top table chest with hand carved leaf scrolls and roundel carvings, having swivel carrying handles to the sides. The chest has a rustic charm and sh...

An 18th Century Silver Mounted Mogul Hand-Carved and Beveled Rectangular Jade Box. The jade is the finest quality with a natural even green tone. It is beautifully hand-carved and ...

Decorative natural light brown and blue alabaster stone trinket, jewelry or cigarette box. Tree trunk design - form. Hand-made/tooled in Italy during the 1960s or 70s by Romano Bianc...

Sterling silver gold plated snuff box with translucent fired enamels on guillochè and monochrome blue hand-painted miniatures on five sides and fine hand engravings on all edges. Eng...

Vintage handmade beautifully carved wooden trinket box, jewelry box or keepsake box. Depicting a village scene with Houses & Palm Trees. Folk Art ...

A Very Fine, Antique Mid-Century Modern French Baccarat (attributed) Paper-Weight Glass, Apricot Color Rectangular Shaped Box Mounted With a Very Fine Hand-Chiseled Ormolu Mounted Be...

Discover an authentic artisanal treasure with this refined oval pill box. Made of gold-plated 925/1000 silver, this piece is embellished with translucent enamels fired on guilloché ...

This is a rectangular, gold-plated sterling silver pill box, exquisitely decorated with translucent enamels over a guilloché (engine-turned) pattern and featuring a hand-painted flor...

Rare Engine Turned Design The Sewing Box of slight sarcophagus shape stood upon four turned ribbed feet. The Sewing Box tapers up to the convex raised lid and features scrolling fl...

Oval rounded "soap" shaped snuff box in 925/1000 sterling silver with fired enamels above and below and hand-painted miniature of a horse's head, English "Art Nouveau" style, early 1900s. Measurements cm. 4.7 x 6.7 x 2. Weight gr. 96. Designed by Franco Salimbeni in 1980 and manufactured in Florence in the headquarters of the Salimbeni company with completely manual execution by artisan artists with thick slab and large reinforcements suitable for withstanding numerous enamelled firings at high heat 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...

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...

Snuff Box Silver is in 925/1000 sterling. Snuff Box Silver has black fired enamels on guilloché. Snuff Box Silver has a lid with geometric design ...

A hand carved Chinese large table box with hinged lid. Intricately carved all-over with Asian carvings resting of four paw feet. Bronze lock plate on front.

Table boxes such as this shapely Venetian (Italy) one would have been found in wealthy European homes during the 19th century. Hand-carved from pine that was grown in Switzerland, ou...

A rather unique painted chest from Europe, this table coffer was commissioned in 1915. The right side (when viewing from the front) is dated, with the numbers flanking a springing ra...

19th century hand painted tine decorative box circa 1860. Good quality Swedish tine box, used for storing valuables or foods for secure storage.  This example in it's original blue ...

Mid 18th century Swedish pine chest decorated with labyrinth circa 1730. Rare and beautiful Swedish pine chest.   Traces of original paint to the outside with decorative metal strap...

Jewel box Baroque style, in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated. Jewel Box has fine hand engravings around fired enameled spaces with lapis lazuli type painting. Jewel Box Baroqu...

Studio Free Edge Burl Wood Jewelry, Trinket or Decorative Box In the manner of Esherick, Nakashima or Maloof, a 1960s lidded, carved and polished burl wood jewelry, decorative or tri...

Crafted from wood with intricate, hand-carved details, this vintage tramp art box is another timeless peice of history to treasure. Featuring a layered, hand-carved design, original ...

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...

Carved box in solid Macassar ebony. It is opened by means of a handle that is also carved. It is signed "A.Noll" on the underside.

Oval curved snuff-box in 925/1000 sterling silver gold-plated with translucent fired enamels on guilloché, above and below. Modern contemporary style. Size cm. 4.5 x 6.5 x 2.3. Weigh...

Rectangular shaped table box with finely embossed and hand-chiseled lid in Baroque style. Velvet interior. Dimensions cm. 11.7 x 21 x 4.5. Weight gr. 1000. Designed by Giorgio Salimb...

This 19th-century Thai manuscript box is a rare and exquisite example of traditional Thai craftsmanship, designed to store sacred palm-leaf manuscripts ...

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...

Portuguese Rosewood Baroque Chest, Circa 1830 Suited for Jewelry, Occasional Storage, or Decorative Use Sourced by Martyn Lawrence Bullard from Lisbon, Portugal

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,...

This finely crafted antique jewelry box was made in France circa 1880, during the Napoleon III period. Constructed of silver-plated copper, the rectangular casket features elaborate ...

Rare Indian coffee made of hand carved wood with metal frame. The door opens from the top and reveals the interior. Beautiful piece that could be used as a letter box or as a small jewellery cabinet...

Behold the epitome of elegance and craftsmanship: a square table box, meticulously crafted from gold-plated 925/1000 sterling silver. This masterpiece features exquisite engravings a...

This incredibly rare two-tier Swiss Black Forest jewelry box is fully hand-carved from a single block of wood, making it a true masterpiece. What sets this box apart is its unique de...

An elegant 19th-century Oriental desk box or storage chest, crafted from wood and hand-decorated with exquisite polychrome detailing in shades of red, bl...

A rare pair of 19th century or earlier valet drawer boxes with carved oak in curvaceous serpentine drawers with original bronze hardwares.

This exquisite lidded jar, which could also serve as a bonbonnière or sugar bowl, is crafted from approximately 1 kilogram of hand-carved rock crystal. The crystal body has been care...

Vintage carved wood box features abstract geometric form of a pedestal with an open book with a large cross on top, done in striking choice of solid wood. The pedestal and the book p...

Very special Baroque box with carved decorations of mythical creatures and figurative scenes Carved monogrammed initials "HPP" + Family Crest, origin: Gudbrandsdal, Norway, circa 174...

Rounded rectangular snuffbox in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with fine hand-painted fire-enamelled miniature depicting a female face wearing Art Nouveau style clothing, hand-...

Decorative lidded box by Chris and Pat Shatsby c.1990's, USA. The diamond shaped box is made of textured bronze with a hand carved wood lid. The lid is finished with a sculptural bro...

This charming 19th-century Black Forest decorative box is beautifully hand-carved in solid wood, featuring detailed floral and foliate motifs throughout. The lid is adorned with an i...

This is a well relief carved Jewelry box. It was probably made on the west coast of Africa. It looks to depict the heads of 3 Jaguars in relief.

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 fine example of an English needlework casket from the Charles II period (1660-1685), with silk work exterior panels depicting various figures and animals, a top mirrored compartmen...

English Gothic Revival-style (1st Quarter 20th Century) oak letter box with tracery carved sides and top

A 19th century erotical secret box. Extremely rare erotic sculpture from the 19th century, most probably created in France, circa 1870. This is a sculptural box depicting a woman sitting on a woven wood basket. The sculpture represents a small discrete treasure chest to keep jewels. It was masterfully crafted from pieces of cream and brown wood carvings and is fitted with a screwable part to reveal the interior. This is an outstanding object, unobtainable on the antique market and of high collecting. Other examples of these enigmatic boxes produced in the 19th Century. Gilded and patinated bronze, made in France during the 3rd Empire. Ca 1870 Weight: 192.2 Grams, (123.20 Dwt). Measurements: 150 mm by 63.5 mm by 89 mm (5.91 x 2.5 x 3.5 Inches). Condition: The overall condition of this sculpture is excellent. Beside the little normal wear, there is no damage to any part. This erotic box...

This is an Anglo-Indian Export Tea Caddy, beautifully hand carved made from hardwood and dating to the 19th century. The baluster Jar shaped caddy is raised on a pedestal foot, hand...

Scottish Regency mahogany hinged cellarette with foliage cartouche, gadrooned molded edge, original brass circular side handles, lead lined interior with stopper, and resting on carved foliage scrolled triangular feet...

English Burl walnut and figural cherub wedge-wood hinged letter box with compartmentalized fitted interior, locking mechanism with key, decorative circular rope motif, and original e...

Gorgeous & breathtaking! This 19th century black forest jewelry box carved out of fruitwood. Carved by a master carver with at...

A Beautiful Antique Blue over White Double Overlay Ormolu Mounted Cased Glass Rectangular Box. With a beautiful geometric design cased underneath the top blue layer, which protrudes ...

English octagonal black lacquered and gilt stenciled figural pagoda hinged one drawer sewing box with exterior gilt stenciled dragon motif, interior gilt stenciled floral motif, orig...

Elegant Mid-Century Modern vanity set comprising a silver-plated perfume bottle and a glass bowl with silver plated powder box. The handcrafted Lucite Knob decorate the two pieces. M...

PRESENTING A LOVELY 19C Anglo Indian Highly Carved Sadeli Mosaic Inlaid Sewing Box. Made in Bombay, India, circa 1880. The box is made of sandalwood with highly carved raised teak 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...

A French 19th century writing box made of exotic rosewood. The top of the petite trunk is inlaid with a small tile of mother-of-pearl, engraved for “Charlotte”. The case opens to rev...

Italian Marquetry Inlaid Wooden Jewelry Box, Geometric Sorrento Style, Mid-20th Century A finely crafted Italian wooden jewelry box showcasing intricate marquetry inlay in the tradi...

A rare English George II cellarette in the form of a pagoda, with removable top with brass acanthus knop or finial, side handles, and liner, as well as two drawers, and all raised on...