Bone Boxes

Presenting an astonishing Japanese Antique Carved Bone bamboo-form snuff bottle, museum quality. Dimension: 2.5" H x 1 " Dia. Condition: Excellent Condition

Spanish, 18th century or earlier. An 18th century Spanish bargueno or vargueno traveling desk, used for storing documents, jewels, or sewing box. The six drawer chest is inset with ...

A antique tortoiseshell singing bird box, by Bontems Circa 1890, Going-barrel movement, Motor-view light anomaly... When wound and start/...

Eye catching textural keepsake document box clad in heat set horn tiles which feature a raised oval center.

A very attractive vintage inlaid rosewood Indian jewelry box. The hinged box made is from solid figured rosewood and finely and is sumptuously inla...

Made as a slant lid desk with fold down writing lid opening to a fitted interior. Two drawers below and bracket feet. Bone is white and tinted green. Carved details.

English Tortoiseshell Pagoda Form Tea Caddy, Early 19th Century

An elegant reinterpretation of an everyday household item, this superb tissue box is expertly fashioned of prized horn and ebony wood with a glossy lacquere...

Bring a sense of majesty into your living space with this magnificent Moroccan white bone chest handcrafted from beach wood and inlaid with additional red stones. Boasting a sumptuou...

Tessellated horn jewelry box by Maitland-Smith.

Rare serpentine form English Regency tea caddy. The base with sloping sides, the interior with two fitted compartments.

Striking pair of tessellated bone decorative boxes having wonderful unusual shape, black ink embellishments with birds and foliage against creamy beige and white background. Lids co...

Oval Tea Caddy with Silver Mounts From our Tea Caddy collection, we are delighted to offer this Georgian Silver and Tortoiseshell Tea Caddy. The Tea Caddy is of oval shape with a Tortoiseshell exterior mounted with engraved silver stringing, a silver shield plaque below the silver escutcheon and a silver looped handle. The interior features a floating tea shelf...

Exuding the quiet elegance of the Georgian era, this exquisite antique box is a miniature treasure of 19th-century craftsmanship. The piece is masterfully crafted from a rich, beauti...

Antique English shagreen cased six sided wooden tea caddy with nice silver mounts, bone finial and undivided interior. Comes with small silver pin to ...

Beautiful 19th Century Eastern Tortoiseshell and Bone Trinket Box, Lined with Blue Velvet on Paw Feet. Ideal for jewellery or keepsakes or just as a ...

Late 19th century oval sewing box decorated with crowned monogram. The case contains five gold and steel sewing utensils embellished with small flowers. Labeled on the inside: AUCOC A PARIS. Weight: 27.6 g, circa 1860 Dimension: W 4.5 in, D 2.4in, H .8in. Dimension: L 11.5cm, P 6cm, H 2cm. La Maison Aucoc...

A nice pair of horn of silver snuff or trinket boxes. One is hallmarked with English Sterling hallmarks the other I believe is silverplate. I cannot quite make out the date code but ...

Elegant and finely crafted rosewood and ivory inlay traveller's writing desk from the late Mughal period of British India (circa 1825), on low bun feet. In excellent condition, with ...

Art Deco shagreen covered wooden box of dark green color and with a bone lid lift.

Embriachi workshop marquetry casket Northern Italy, 15th century Alla certosina inlays (bone, stained bone, pewter and wood) H 28.2 x W 18 x D 14 cm This beautiful casket of rectangular form is richly decorated with the characteristic geometric patterns of the Embriachi style. The intricate geometric patterns are fashioned by juxtaposing lighter and darker pieces of wood, (colored) bone, horn and pewter. The lid and base are framed by a broad band of horn. When ivory became scarce in Europe due to disrupted trade routes, bone was substituted. The attention to Symmetry and balance created an harmonious visual effect Enhancing the overall aesthetic appeal of the casket. The application of geometrical motifs is in Italy known as marquetry ‘alla Certosina’, named after the Certosina Church in Pavia with its famous altarpiece decorated in this way. This is ‘intarsia technique’, a term derived from the Arabic 'tarsi', which means ‘incrustation' recalling ancient mosaics made from various materials. These geometric elements not only enhance the aesthetic appeal of the caskets but also demonstrate the versatility and skill of the artisans in creating multifaceted works of art. ‘Alla Certosina’ became famous through the Northern Italian Embriachi family who achieved a particularly high standard in working in this technique. Venice in particular was known for the production of these luxurious boxes. The caskets, hexagonal or rectangular, surmounted by a lid decorated in several registers constitute the secular, albeit equally renowned component of the workshop’s production, in addition to mirror frames and various everyday objects. The method of fabrication of those objects was based on two concepts that underlay pre-industrial production: standardization and modularity, thanks to a distribution of skills according to the different phases of fabrication. even the realization of the marquetry motifs (in the form of ingots from which portions of the desired size were cut) were therefore entrusted to various specialized craftsmen, as were the assembly phase. Today better known thanks to the extensive research work recently carried out by Michele Tomasi, this workshop owes its name to its founder and owner, the Florentine Baldassare Ubriachi (or degli Embriachi), a merchant and banker established in the Tuscan capital before he settled in Venice in 1395. Together with sculptor Giovanni di Jacopo, who directed the workshop, from the last years of the fourteenth century, Baldassare oversaw a production that was truly original, and still easily recognizable today, comprising monumental altarpieces and various objects, primarily triptychs and caskets. The precise location of the workshop is unknown, except that it originated in Florence and in ca. 1431 there was apparently a workshop in Venice, in the area of S Luca. They employed local workers specializing in 'certosina' (inlay of stained woods, bone and horn), and the workshop produced items carved in bone (usually horse or ox) with wood and bone marquetry. The geometric decoration of Embriachi caskets reflects the artistic complexity and attention to detail that characterized their work. this inlaid casket is a testament to the skill and artistry of the Embriachi family and serves as a stunning example of the decorative arts of the late Middle Ages. Related Literature : E. Berger, Prunk-Kassetten: Europäischen Meisterwerke aus acht Jahrhunderten / Ornamental Caskets...

Keepsake /Jewelry box featuring heat set molded natural horn elements.

Architectural Model Box of the Alhambra Palace, with Key Handcrafted in Granada, Spain, Circa 1960s A stunning architectural model box that showcases the ...

Eyecatching textural large scale keepsake, document box clad in heat set black buffalo tiles which feature a raised oval center.

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...

This extremely rare, early Swiss automaton singing bird box by the famed Charles Bruguier is housed in a case enveloped in luxurious tortoiseshell. Ev...

Decorative keepsake, jewelry box clad in geometric horn and bone tiles, some with hand engraving, lined in wood. A great addition to any desk or coffee table.

Presenting an astonishing Japanese Antique Carved Bone Pillbox Inro, museum quality with the amazing carving skill depicting rats on the lid and body and the relief weaved basket pat...

PRESENTING A LOVELY 19th century Anglo-Indian Carved Teak Wood and Sadeli Mosaic Box, featuring a carving of a Hunt Scene. Made circa 1870 in Bombay, India during the Rule of the Br...

Art Deco shagreen covered cedar box with bone edges, the snug fitting lid attached at the back with a single long stop hinge to prevent the lid falling back when open. The leather co...

An 1894 antique Edward Souter Barnsley & Co. sterling silver and tortoiseshell powder box decorated with a silver laurel leaf and bow inset to...

A flat-lidded brown polished horn box by Maitland Smith, with two beautifully inlaid and brass trimmed polished greenstone ( I believe to be amazonite tiles surrounded by a gilt bras...

Contemporary Indian lidded bone box with etched chevron pattern design. Part of a large collection of bone boxes

Intricately Carved Bone Containers with Lid – Set of 2 – Antique Handcrafted Decorative Storage Boxes Discover this unique set of 2 intricate carved bone containers with lid, perfec...

Decorative Mughal Raj Vizagapatam Carved Veneered Bone Jewelry Rectangular shape Box. Vintage Asian lidded box crafted with bone finely engraved and hand painted in black with geometric Moorish designs. Delightful Anglo Indian footed box crafted with an intricate patterned polished bone inlay mosaic over a wood frame. Handmade in Vizagapatam, India, mid 20th century. Elegant intricate pattern. A true work of Islamic artwork...

A decorative handmade orange bone and black tribal design chest or jewelry box. The chest interior is leather and features gorgeous brass inlay design with natural decorative stones.

A stunning vintage Moorish arabesque inlaid table box, 20th century, high quality rectangular box with hinged lid, featuring contrasting mother of pearl, exotic hardwood, and bone marquetry inlay arranged in geometric patterns, opening to red fabric lined interior. Dimensions: (approx) 3" High, 16.75" Wide, 6 1/8" Deep; 3.2lbs As warm and attractive as it is functional, having the ideal large size and proportions for a variety of different uses, including concealing a remote control on your coffee table or sofa table, or as a jewelry casket, trinket case...

Domed Patchwork Bone Trinket Box Probably made by Maitland Smith

A fine antique 19th-Century British Colonial hand crafted porcupine quill and ebony jewelry or sewing box with working lock and key, made in Matara, Ceylon the colonial name for Sri ...

Present your favorite dishes with enchanting style in this vintage lidded bowl from the celebrated Portuguese ceramic maker, Bordallo Pinheiro. Expertly molded and richly glazed to s...

Veneered in Amboyna Wood From our Sewing Box collection, we are pleased to offer this Amboyna Sewing Box. The Sewing Box of rectangular shape veneered in Amboyna with a circular mo...

Impressive Anglo Indian box crafted in mahogany and clad in tortoise shell decorated with bone straps, carved and painted floral panels, and paw feet. The inside has a mirror and bon...

A fine quality and handsome George IV/Regency inlaid rosewood dressing box, with the original sterling silver and glass fitted contents, London, 1824. The box having a lift-up hinged lid, finely inlaid with brass and bone marquetry of floral garlands & swags, the front having twin locking doors with corresponding inlay. Both the top, base and door panels have 'Dutch Ripple' molding and at each corner a hand-turned 'Barley Twist' column, both to the front and rear. The interior of the box also having inlaid satinwood stringing and three fitted compartments each with an etched crystal container...

3 nice Victorian trinket or snuff boxes. One is oval and made of horn with Silver inlay. The next is a long oval out of some exotic horn and has a hinge on top, and a portion lifts o...

One absolutely gorgeous decorative box by Enrique Garcel 1980s. In two tone tessellated horn and brass bands surrounding it. The brass hinges make this box extremely sturdy with good...

Tessellated horn box with green stone border on top. Mahogany lined interior and felt bottom. Maitland Smith, 1980s.

Maitland Smith tessellated horn jewelry box.

19th century boulle casket-type letter box by Halstaff and Hanover. The exterior is finished with Ornate boulle inlay on all sides in gold and red. A del...

An outstanding 17th century and later simulated tortoiseshell, gilt decorated, and iron bound strong box. With Chinoiserie decoration, the hinged top enclosing void interior with iro...

The small Mudejar coffer is decorated with stars using bone inlay, faux tortoiseshell and ebony. It also has a masterfully crafted iron lock.  

19th century English dresser box made from exquisitely grained rosewood. The box has wonderfully inlaid patterns on the top and front in...

PRESENTING A BEAUTIFUL and RARE 19C Anglo Ceylonese Specimen Wood Trinket Box. Made in ‘Galle’, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) circa 1860-80. Made for the ex...

Hollywood Regency Tessellated Box Or Chest. This charming vintage tessellated box or tabletop chest would make a lovely jewelry box or decorative table box.

This exquisite Maitland Smith box showcases a striking bone inlaid design on rich satinwood, with meticulously carved out square patterns that create a visually dynamic effect. Craft...

Of superb quality, this red tortoise shell box with beautifully executed gilded brass mounts was most likely originally made to hold Tea of Sirih. It is in very fine antique conditio...

Pale green stained shagreen covered Art Deco box with bone trimmed hinged lid raised on ball feet. The bottom stamped "John C(?) ______(?) & Sons, LTD."

Anglo Indian rectangular porcupine quill, bone and parquetry box. The box with a hinged lid that opens to reveal embossed red velvet lining and a decorated wood panel...

Art Deco Burled Thuya wood 2 chamber cigarette box having an inlay of burled walnut edged with bone running up both sides of each corner and configured to appear as though each piece...

Tortoise shell decorative box with bun feet. We have other tortoise boxes similar in form that would be a lovely collection. Feel free to call or email with questions. Priced per b...

19th century miniature mahogany chest of drawers from England. This was most likely a very fine salesman's sample. In the 18th and 19th centuries, craftsmen would carry these small...