Inlay Decorative Boxes

A fine and elegant Korean black lacquer and abalone mother of pearl inlay "longevity" box, circa 1930s, Korea. The box, most likely used to sto...

Like an ancient pebble or river-rock that has been tumbled for centuries to polish and reveal its alluvial layers. Hand-turned solid oak box enveloped in lacquered eggshell marquetry.

This exquisite set of two boxes by Kifu Paris showcases the luxurious craftsmanship and meticulous attention to detail that the brand is renowned for. Handcrafted in white shagreen, ...

English Regency mahogany box with satinwood inlay. The four corners of the top are inlaid with lovely triangular scalloped decoration. All the border molding are also satinwood inlay...

FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING Boulle stationery box by Leuchars & Sons, dating to the late nineteenth century during the Victorian period, circa 1880. The box is of rectangular form with...

Chinese Round Black Lacquer Box with Mother of Pearl Inlay, likely 20th Century Beautiful and useful 20th century. Chinese lacquer box of circular shape, the domed cover with flora...

Discover the timeless elegance of this large, handcrafted Middle Eastern Lebanese jewelry box, a stunning testament to traditional artistry. Meticul...

Handcrafted marquetry Moorish wood inlay micro mosaic with miniature hand painted scene. Handcrafted khatam wooden box with very delicate micro mosaic marquetry from the ancient Pers...

Unusual antique Victorian quality inlaid coromandel wood writing box having quality inlaid coromandel wood lift up tops opening to reveal a green leather writing surface opening to r...

A small Sinhalese Porcupine Quill Box with a sliding lid. The panels of porcupine quill panels arranged in a chevron pattern, bordered with ebony and bone inlaid banding. Ceylonese ...

A rare French marqueterie de paille (colored straw marquetry) sewing work box. Delicately hand-crafted in Provincial Burgundy, France, late 18th / ...

A lacquer presentation box with mother-of-pearl inlays from Japanese Ryukyu Islands circa 17-18th century. The lidded box in rectangular form with rounded corner is a classic example...

Vintage Middle Eastern Moorish wooden jewelry box inlaid with marquetry. Middle Eastern box handcrafted in very fine Moorish micro mosaic diamonds, ...

Fine Cloisonné Enamel Silver Pill Box A finely crafted kidney-shaped sterling silver pill box, delicately enamelled throughout in vibrant shades of cobalt blue, turquoise, burgundy...

Antique 19th century Napoleon III era French Marquetry Boulle box. Red and black tortoiseshell with foliate brass inlay. Decoration on top includes the monogram LS. Rectangular form ...

Felt-lined lidded box all handcrafted from natural stones Indigenous to the Philippines.

Inlaid with floral sprays of engraved mother of pearl and brass From our Sewing Box collection, we are delighted to offer this William IV Rosewood Inlaid Sewing Box. The Sewing Box ...

Large box built in spring wood with ebony veneer and geometric inlays in bronze and spring wood. The influence for this piece came from Marion Dorn's design of the black and cream g...

Exquisite handcrafted box decorated with intricate traditional Middle Eastern marquetry. Made of dark wood with geometric inlays , it features a refined design of stars and repeating...

This decorative box is crafted using traditional straw marquetry, with handwoven straw carefully arranged in a subtle ombré gradient to create depth and tonal variation. The geometri...

c.1800, England, Regency brass inlaid rosewood lap desk in the manner of George Bullock. Rectangular box with double-hinged lid, opening to tooled na...

This exceptional, 18 carat gold Easter egg was crafted by the famous London-based royal jewellers, Asprey & Co. The piece was then retailed by Garrard & Co, who once worked in collaboration with Asprey, producing luxury jewellery and silver for an elite clientele. The egg has been crafted from gold filigree — that is, gold wires interwoven to make a delicate lace-like pattern. The gold is arranged to form the image of a peacock, with a magnificent fanned train, composed of red, dark blue and green coloured plique-à-jour enamel. The light blue body of the peacock, and its long swirling light and dark blue tail feathers, have been crafted from intricate guilloché enamel, which is often found on Fabergé style eggs...

Exuding timeless sophistication, this exquisite, straw marquetry lidded box is attributed to the legendary French designer Jean-Michel Frank (1895-1941). With its elongated rectangul...

Beautiful Scholz & Lammel boxe from the 1960s made of wood with enamel top. You could use it for cigaretts, little things like jewelry or small accessories. Price for one box.  

An antique English Tunbridge box with geometric inlay, hinged lid, red velvet interior, felted bottom and comes with working key. The box with a diamond form inlaid medallion flanked...

There is type of English sweet called a Licorice Allsort. They are made in different layers and some have little balls covering them. The red lacquer and the little white pieces of e...

This is a small oval shaped antique metal Pill Box with Inlay to the lid and dating to the Edwardian or late Victorian period. The box is made ...

An Important and Rare 17th to 18th Century Italian Pietra Dura Ormolu Mounted Ebony Jewelry Box/ Casket, attributed to Ducal workshop. The rectangu...

Large antique French Napoleon III box with inlaid bronze decor, polished black color surface, inside brown velvet. Includes key. After the reno...

A beautiful 'as is' late 18th or early 19th century example of 'Marqueterie de Paille', or straw marquetry, work box. The top inlaid with a wonderful cityscape, with early architectu...

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...

Fitted Tunbridge Ware Sewing Box Interior From our Tunbridge Ware collection, we are delighted to offer this Tunbridge Ware Sewing Box. The Rosewood box of rectangular form extensiv...

19th century inlaid Killarney ware writing slope circa 1870. Beautiful Irish killarney region writing slope, beautifully inlaid with the various woods they used to craft with. Killa...

A Moroccan Decorative Lidded Box, 20th Century Provenance: Private Australian Collection. Dimensions: Height: 27cm. Width: 31cm. Depth: 18cm.

18th century inlaid mahogany Georgian serpentine knife box circa 1790 Good quality decorative box, serpentine fronted and an inlaid with a shell patera to the hinged lid. Many other...

PRESENTING an ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS and EXTREMELY UNIQUE and RARE 19C British Tunbridgeware Micromosaic Lap Desk. This lap desk is unlike any of it’s kind we have seen before. From c...

Round jewelry box made of solid turned walnut and decorated with small ebony inserts. The inlay forms an ascending geometric pattern. The lid opens by splitting into two parts by rot...

Precious rectangular sewing box in rosewood veneer called. Uncovered, it presents a mirror with braids on the back of the lid. This charming sewing set is lined with moire and pink velvet and is composed of two small square porcelain bottles with openwork polychrome flowers, marked "L" on the bottom, a removable rectangular pad supporting two spools of gold thread and finely chiseled with a central chiseled cartridge-shaped, overhung by a button. A central tray on a raised base holds five sewing items...

Large vintage Moorish wedding jewelry box inlaid with semi-precious agate stones and covered with brass and silvered metal filigree. Large circular Moorish Middle East jewelry...

Huge wonderfully decorated wooden box, an original of the Jugendstil era, made in Austria. This casket is an impressive example of the craftsmanship of the period around 1900. Only ...

A 19th century French ebonized box with brass inlay, the lock signed Vervelle Faut. Vervelle was a famed French maker of boxes, caskets and cabinetry, renowned for their fine craftsm...

19th century marquetry fruitwood desktop box circa 1890. Good quality desktop box covered with marquetry on all surfaces. Sloped front with decorative star panel.  Top opens to reve...

A 19th Century French Napoleon III marquetry box, hand-crafted of walnut and thuya burl wood veneers with ebonized trim. Fine mother-of-pearl and brass inlay with center medallion on...

A handsome piece of early Tunbridge Ware dating to around 1835, William IV in era. Made from wood this small stationery box is decorated with intricate Tunbridge Stickware inlay. The interior has been professionally re-lined in a handsome hand-marbled paper; the size of the interior would suit...

Refined and sensual small accessories for the desk or vanity have been loved and enjoyed by collectors or aesthetes for many centuries. Examples of beautiful, delicate workmanship ca...

Heavily Inlaid with Mother of Pearl and Abalone From our Writing Box collection, we are pleased to offer this stunning Antique Inlaid Writing Box by Hausburg. The Writing Box of rec...

A fine and unusual Japanese black lacquer and mother of pearl inlaid box, Momoyama Period, 16th century, Japan. The large box and cover featu...

Anglo Raj inlaid marble pietra dura decorative box with lid. Handmade marble decorative lidded box inlaid with semi precious stones, jasper and carnelian for orange. It is the same craft that you see in the Taj Mahal. Very nice fine pietra dura art...

Fantastic quality antique Victorian rosewood and mother of pearl inlaid work box having a quality antique Victorian work box with stunning mother of pearl inlay, with a lift up lid o...

A stunning and substantial decorative box in the Mid-Century Italian style, carved from solid white marble and featuring a bold chevron inlay in vibrant green malachite. The crisp ge...

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

Unique low cabinet with intarsia designed by the architect, artist and craftsman Viktor Lurje (1883-1944) and manufactured by Wiener Werkstätte GmbH, circa 1926. Together with Oskar ...

Luxurious red coral box from Maitland-Smith. This beautiful box crafted of authentic red coral tiles is luxurious and glamorous. Each of the pieces that ...

Designed by eccentric woodworker and designer Don Shoemaker, this trinket box was made by Senal in Mexico. It employs a cacophany of exotic woods, including cocobolo, jacaranda, and ...

1980s decorative pen shell cube box attributed to Maitland Smith. Medium brown pen shell with dark gray tessellated stone accents. Wood lined box. No ma...

Brulé means 'burnt' in French. Raw and delicate, the Brulé boxes evoke the idea of baked earth or ashes. There is a powerful energy in the details of decisio...

This box is a jewelry box or a decorative box. It was made in the 1970s, in France. Its lid is made of a checkerboard rectangle in Brass, and wood. It is gold and brown in color.

Pair of 19th century Italian Inlaid boxes in the Renaissance style. With wonderful geometric inlay, in various fruit woods, done to give the optical illusion of depth. The inlaid top...

A remarkable 19th-century Victorian mahogany and satinwood coal scuttle, also referred to as a coal hod or purdonium, exemplifies exquisite period craftsmanship. This piece features ...

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...