Anglo-Indian Jewelry Boxes

The 1920s French Inlaid Anglo-Indian Style Box epitomizes exquisite craftsmanship and cultural fusion. Its intricate design merges the elegance of French inlay techniques with the op...

PRESENTING A VERY NICE 19th century Anglo Indian Highly Carved Sandalwood and Sadeli Mosaic Box. Late 19th century, circa 1880, Anglo-Indian Box from the “Time of the Raj” made in the Region/Area of Bombay for the British market. The box is made of sandalwood with highly carved reliefs on all sides depicting various animals (tigers etc) and foliage. The box is edged in faux ivory/ivorine and ebony stringing and bordered with gorgeous ‘Sadeli Mosaic’ from Bombay. Sadeli Mosaic is the name given to the type of micro-mosaic used by craftsmen in Bombay, using pewter, silver, green semi-precious stone, bone and ebony to create a geometric type pattern. Part of our large collection of Anglo-Indian items...

PRESENTING A SUPERB AND EXCEPTIONAL EXAMPLE of a mid-19th century Anglo-Indian Sadeli Mosaic Trinket Box. This one is in BEAUTIFUL CONDITION for its age! From circa 1850-1860 and made in the Region of Bombay, India for the British market. The ‘sadeli mosaic’ on this box, is classically an early version, of this type of mosaic work and is ‘coarse’ to the touch. Because of this, most boxes with this type of mosaic, have not survived intact for 170 years, without major losses to the mosaic, from dusting, cleaning, etc. This box only has only had ONE very minor loss of mosaic to the top, which has been repaired and is hardly noticeable, otherwise it is in GREAT ORIGINAL CONDITION! The faux ivory banding is even original to the piece. The ‘Sadeli Mosaic’ on this box is ‘striking’, with gorgeous geometric patterns of silver, pewter, bone, stained bone (green) and ebony. The box case, itself, is made of sandalwood, but it is completely covered in sadeli mosaic and faux ivory and ebony veneer. The lid is banded with a different sadeli mosaic pattern. From circa 1850-60 and made in the Region of Bombay, India for the British market. The interior is lined in its original red velvet lining. The box sits on it’s original 4 brass bulbous feet and the red velvet is also on the base underside. The ‘QUALITY’ of this box is evident from the EXCEPTIONAL Sadeli mosaic work, but also the lock which is an early British ‘Lever’ Lock is a sign of real quality. This is ONE for the SERIOUS COLLECTOR! 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...

PRESENTING A LOVELY 19C Anglo Indian Vizagapatam T/Shell and Bone Trinket Box. Made in Vizagapatam, India in circa 1860-1880. Sandalwood box covered in gloriously patinated blonde shell...

A Pietra Dura green malachite and granite marble stone inlayed decorative or jewelry box, circa 20th century. Box is white granite marble with green malachite and white mother of pea...

Vintage Capodimonte style porcelain box with hand-painted scene of Elephant. Porcelain Anglo Indian lidded trinket box hand decorated in polychrome glazes of an Elephant wearing a ceremonial Mughal Raj costume. Colorful...

Anglo Indian antique lidded box crafted in hardwood decorated in porcupine quills and bone dots inside and out. Fine antique Ceylonese hardwood and...

There are two box available, each sold separately. A beautiful multi semi-preciouses stone floral inlay or 'pietra dura' design box, circa 20th century. Box cover includes red carne...

A beautiful multi semi-preciouses stone floral inlay or 'pietra dura' design box, circa 20th century. Box cover includes red carnelian, blue lapis, green malachite, white mother of p...

A beautiful pietra dura stone and seashell inlayed decorative or jewelry box, circa 20th century. Box is white granite marble with green malachite and white mother of pearl shell flower and leaf inlayed design. Hand-carved. Hand-crafted. A great piece for a desk, vanity, dresser, nightstand, etc. Dimensions: 3.25" Depth x 4.38" Width. Other items shown available separately, search 1stDibs ref. #s: Italian marble bookends, search ref. #: LU1314226027282 Green malachite catchall...

Anglo Indian Moorish style micro mosaic inlaid jewelry box with lid. Vintage Intricate inlaid Anglo Indian box with floral and geometric Moorish Sadeli design in an octagonal shape form with micro mosaic marquetry, very fine artwork. Museum collector piece like the one in Doris Duke Islamic Art Museum. The repeating geometric patterns of Sadeli Mosaic are what give it beauty and richness. This decorative technique is a type of micro mosaic featuring repeating geometric patterns. A highly skilled craft, it has had a long history in India and the Middle East with early examples dating back to the 16th century. In the 1800s, it became popular as a decoration on a variety of boxes, card cases, and chess boards imported from India. Since Bombay became a center of making them, they became known as Bombay boxes...

Stunning large handcrafted Moroccan, Syrian or Middle Eastern arabesque style octagonal box. Our handsome felt lined decorative box is inlaid with several types of wood and mother of pearl. Our large Syrian or Middle Eastern box...