Hand-Carved Decorative Boxes

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...

Moroccan antique tribal drinking flask gunpowder large brass flask polished and decorated with semi precious glass stones and filigree metal.  Huge antique copper and brass decorative bottle, flask wall hanging sculpture. Large brass circular canteen, water, drinking flask. The front of the brass canteen is decorated with the repoussé technique and hammering and is overlay with brass filigree and semi precious glass stone. Has a two hooks to add a strap.   Collector decorative handcrafted drinking, or powder flask...

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

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...

Hand-carved, hinged, walnut box with flora and foliage detail on top. Carved phoenix in center. Lined in mauve silk. Handle pulls out to release top to open.

More than a kilo of sterling silver was needed to create this stunning rectangular tabletop box. Worked with the very complicated guilloche technique, it was then enamelled at high heat with translucent enamel to make the superb workmanship shine through. The fine rectangular miniature cm. 7.5 x 10.7 on vegetable ivory. The small masterpiece handmade by the painter Anna Maria Manfriani reproduces the famous portrait of Empress Eugenia de Montijo, by the painter Franz Xaver Winterhalter. The unenamelled sterling silver parts were then gilded with a 24-carat galvanic bath. In Art Nouveau style, with a “lost” zip, i.e. semi-invisible. Dimensions cm. 15 x 18 x 3.5. Weight gr. 1095. Designed by Giorgio Salimbeni in 1980 and manufactured in Florence at the Salimbeni company headquarters with completely manual execution by artisan artists with a very thick slab and large reinforcements suitable for supporting numerous enamelling firings at around 800° Doña María Eugenia Ignacia Agustina de Palafox y Kirkpatrick, 19th Countess of Teba, 16th Marquise of Ardales known as Eugénie de Montijo was Empress of the French from her marriage to Napoleon III on 30 January 1853 until the fall of the Emperor on 4 September 1870. From July 28 to September 4...

Small egg in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with translucent fired enamel on guilloché, Russian Empire style inspired by the eggs of Carl Fabergé, late 19th century, early 20th...

Snuff Box noble coat of arms is in 925/1000 sterling silver. Snuff Box noble coat of arms has White fired enamels on guilloché and handpainted miniature of arabesques with noble coat...

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

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...

Shaped pillbox in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with hand-painted fired enameled miniature. Queen Victoria English style second half of the 19th century. Measurements cm. 2.2 ...

19th century Anglo-Indian sandal wood box, Sadeli mosaic box fitted with various compartments finely hand-carved with the Taj Mahal. Of sarcophagus form ...

This box is a real treasure! Completely had carved from walnut the detail in the flowers and leaves is quite remarkable. This box required a real master craftsman to achieve the outs...

Rectangular snuffbox in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with fine hand engraving, fire enamelled, in “Rococo” style from the early 19th century. Measurements cm. 4.5 x 7.7 x 2. ...

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...

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...

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...

Elevate your collection with this exquisite oval pill box, crafted from 925/1000 gold-plated sterling silver. This piece is adorned with a hand-painted fire-enameled miniature, echoi...

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 ...

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-...

Swedish Butter Box ca 1850 The base part is made of grey Öland limestone and the lid is made of red Öland limestone. Heigth: 10 cm/3.9 inch Depth: 11.5 cm/4.5 inch Widht: 15 cm/5.9...

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...

1950s Vintage Asian Large Hand Carved Wooden Humidor Box. Hand-carved Kashmiri style Mid 20th century wood box richly decorated overall with s...

Betel Nut is consumed on a daily basis in a large portion of the Indonesian Archipelago. In Java, betel nut was offered as a sign of respect and hospitality when people would visit o...

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

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...

A 19th century French boite à sel, or salt box, hand-crafted of solid walnut with hinged lid and small dovetailed drawer. Clover leaf detail. Waxed finish. This box was used to store...

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...

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...

A George III tobacco round desk box made in England. This is a beautiful round desk box created in England during the period of king George III, back in 1787. The box was finely car...

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...

Belt in real black python reptile with rectangular buckle in 925/1000 gold-plated silver with columns, with Art Deco design fire-enamelled in 3 colors enriched with pure gold sequins...

Betel Nut is consumed on a daily basis in a large portion of the Indonesian Archipelago. In Java, betel nut was offered as a sign of respect and hospitality when people would visit o...

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, brass studded nails, nice geometric carvings and very fine patina. Collector large carved wooden vessel in the shape of a turtle with a long neck. Dimensions: 10"L x 3" H x 5.75" 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...

Octagonal wedge box in 925/1000 sterling silver with black and white colors fire enameled in Art Deco style. Measures 7.8 x 7.8 x 6 cm. Weight gr. 281. Designed by Giorgio Salimbeni ...

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...

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...

Carved Art Deco Decorative Box This Art Deco decorative box features a cylindrical shape with a silver-plated metal base and a Bakelite or resin lid in shades of cream and brown. The...

This divine Table Box is in 925/1000 sterling silver. Table Box hand-painted miniature has a Rectangular shape with rounded corners. On the cover there is a beautiful hand-engraved...

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...

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...

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

Octagonal snuff box in sterling silver 925/1000 gold plated with borders in the English Queen Anne style and sides with translucent fired enamels on ...

Square table box in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with translucent fired enamels on sunburst guillochè and Louis XVI French Empire style ornaments. External measurements cm. 12 x 12 x 2.5. Weight gr. 636- Fine oval miniature cm. 3.2 x 4.2 hand painted in tempera on a vegetable ivory plate by the painter Anna Maria Manfriani reproducing a portrait of a Flemish lady...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 ...

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...

Sculptural marble secret box. Exceptional decorative box, created by an American artist back in the 1981. This modernist box has been made up with carvings of white marble and sanda...

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...

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...

Round rounded pillbox in 925/1000 sterling silver gold plated with translucent fired enamel on guillochè and hand-painted floral miniature on the lid. Viennese Art Nouveau style. Dia...

Stunning and rare Antique decorative box. Striking Dutch design from the 19th century. Solid oak with nicely hand-carved elements. The origin...

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...

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...

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...

An early 20th century French boite à sel, or salt box, made of solid walnut with hinged lid and small drawer. A rustic hand-crafted box with dark waxed finish. This box was used to s...