Hardwood Boxes

A very fine and visually striking Biedermeier Period tea caddy of exceptional quality, demonstrating a highly elevated form and a most complex application of exotic woods. The hinged...

George III Circa 1785 From our Tea Caddy collection, we are delighted to offer this Rare Original Hand-Painted Sycamore Tea Caddy. The Tea Caddy of Octagonal form veneered in Sycamo...

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.

Vintage Hexagonal mosaic faux tortoise shell wooden box by Maitland-Smith with brass inlay. Made in the 1990's in an art deco style. Maitland-Smith Label still on the bottom with bra...

Early 19th century oak candle box from England. The box has a wonderfully hand carved top with two opposing birds flanking a central pineapple. These symbols were also synonymous with welcoming guests into your home. Below the birds, there is a lovely small carved piece over the lid of the candle box. The lid is beveled around the edge for added design detail. The sides of the box are simple and the front has beaded edges, which flank the central panel. That is decorated with a crossed knife...

Vintage handmade Maitland Smith light pink tessellated kidney shaped stone box. Mid-Century Modern Period made in the Philippines. No makers mark....

A George III penwork sarcophagus work box with hinged lid decorated with a chariot, the side with Neo-Classical devices. Age related abrasions and knocks later replacement ebonised ...

19th century Anglo-Indian wooden box fitted with various compartments finely hand carved. The top is finely hand carved with the Taj Mahal. The interior with removable hand carved nine-lidded compartments, the front cover has a mirror, the whole exhibiting very fine workmanship. This fine late Victorian Anglo-Indian box from India is in great condition for it age. A beautiful example of an Anglo-Indian fine art...

An antique Java Indonesia teak burl document box with pieces metal corner mounts, brass studs, wood trim, side handles and a shield form escutcheon plate with a later fitted key. The...

Briefcase with miniature music box _ a one-of-a-kind Document Case Designed and created by the world acclaimed artisans of Boucher & Co Australia...

This box with many drawers is a Japanese tabako-bon, or 'tobacco tray,' used to store tobacco and smoking accessories. Believed to have evolved from the t...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this rather lovely antique original circa 1880-1900 French made Pagoda top Chinese shop cigar box A very go...

A wonderful 18th century George III quill work (scrollwork) tea caddy of hexagon form. English circa 1790 Finely executed, this very attractive caddy ...

Early 19th century Regency period jewelry box, English. Rosewood with boxwood edging. Deep blue velvet lining. Diamond escutcheon. Original tag of J. Collins & Son, CINOA, BADA & LAP...

An English gentleman’s traveling chest circa 1860, made by J.Braman. Framed in brass with ornate brass floral inlay. The interior is lined with red velvet and red leather with gilt t...

Agito watch cabinet offers 6 automatic mechanical watch winders in the main section of the watch box with pre-programmed watch rotators offering personal...

1419 Italian hand crafted 4 drawer jewelry box in the shape of a rococo chest of drawers .

A superb early 18th century kingwood oyster veneered coffre fort with fine gilt brass metal work, the fall front opens to reveal three drawers and three hidden compartments. Lovely c...

1960s Handcrafted Bone Inlaid Trinket Moroccan Wood Trinket Box. Handmade artisanal mid century inlaid trinket decorative lidded Moroccan box. This hexagonal shaped decorative box ha...

This stunning Art Deco, lidded box was hand-crafted in France in the 1930s. The lid is ornate with bone marquetry. The design is very modernist, using bovine bone slices to create a ...

19th century Anglo-Indian hand carved tropical wood box.

As much an artwork as a piece of furniture, this 19th-century treasure chest from northern China is richly decorated with relief carvings and delicate gilt paintings. The doors bear ...

Decorate a coffee table or a shelf with this elegant antique box. Created in France circa 1880, the rectangular cabinet is decorated with an elegant floral inlaid star motif on the t...

A fine quality Regency Era / Georgian Period tea caddy set in sumptuous plum-pudding mahogany. Exquisitely hand-crafted in England at the turn of the late 18th / early 19th century,...

This handsome leather studded trunk with antique brass nailheads is a 20th Century American piece which is a decorative object or makes an incr...

Counter size armoured chest in shiny white bird’s eye maple. Bullets proof glass (6 Joule out of 8), emergency opening system, leds lights. Nine high tech winders entirely made in Sw...

Vintage hand made lidded oval box crafted in teak and walnut burl wood with copper nail detail. Signed. Dimensions: 7.5" wide x 5" deep x 3" tall.

This is a very good quality English Art Deco period lidded Box, of two contrasting woods with a hinged lid and one internal compartment, dating to circa 1925. The box has very in-pe...

Handcrafted Cherry Jewelry Box with Drawer by David Klenk Meticulously handcrafted in West Gray, Maine by artisan David Klenk, this elegant jewelry box combines traditional craftsma...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale 1 of 4 vintage Anglo Indian Export Rosewood and Brass tissue box holders A good looking well made and decor...

Capture the refined elegance of the English Regency period with this stunning antique marquetry box. Masterfully crafted in the 19th century, its rich, dark wood body is adorned with...

19th century English Regency Mahogany sarcophagus form tea caddy with satinwood and holly wood seashell inlaid top. The flame mahogany top framed by twin...

Elegant, exotic, and unmistakably refined, shagreen has long captivated those with a discerning eye for luxury. A study in subtle opulence, this artisan-crafted decorative box is wr...

English zebra wood military campaign writing desk with brass bound molded edges, original recessed side handles, fitted leather interior with tooling and retains the original crystal ink wells...

A carved boxwood prisoner of war battleship snuff box. This small snuff box is carved in the form of a 112-gun ship of the line with a removable quarte...

Very nice painted porcelain top etched metal Art Deco motive sides cigarette dispenser box.

Dual-compartment jewelry box with beveled sides, a free edge, and natural finger pull to lid, executed in bird's-eye maple by Michael Elkan. A part...

Victorian English bird's eye maple lap desk, with ebony and mother-of-pearl inlay. The dome shaped top has a brass shield medallion in the center. The interior has a vibrant purple f...

A pair of handcrafted animal figures, sculpture, keepsake or jewelry box. Made out of the finest fruitwood and tropical beechwood planks laminate i...

20th Century Art Deco Jewelery Box. Delicate rhombus decoration typical of the Italian Art Deco period.

Exquisite Middle Eastern Syrian inlay jewelry box intricately inlaid with Moorish motif designs which have been painstakingly inlaid micro mosaic marque...

An organic modern Birdseye, burl and lightly spalted studio box by artist Michael Elkan. The hinged top opens to reveal two covered compartments for jewelry or whatnots.

Meant to hang on a wall. Barrel shape with alternating woods. Lift lid and cutout back to hang on a wall. Commonly referred to as treen ware.

This exquisite Art Deco modernist lidded box boasts a minimalist yet refined and sophisticated shape, featuring varnish Macassar wood adorned with tropical wooden edging trims. The r...

These boxes were made for British military officers who were posted in Burma (now Myanmar) & India during the days of British rule. The brass & copper bound teak case is profusely ...

Pocket snuff flask carved from coquille nut. Amazing small pocket snuff bottle, carved from a large coquille nut. This antique piece was created in the shape of a spinning top with two secret compartments which can be unscrewed to open. Made in the continental Europe and most probably French or Portuguese provenance from the 18th century, circa 1780. Extensively decorated with organic and floral motifs with a beautiful image of a nut on the upper part. Curiously due to the shape of this piece, it could be played as a spinning tool on a table. This adds a particular interest for the multiple use with which the carving was conceived. Weight: 42.60 Grams. Measurements: Diameter of 40 mm and a height of 89 mm (1.57 x 3.5 Inches). Hallmarks: No marks, gorgeous deep antique patina. Coquille Nut The coquille nut emanates from swampy areas on the eastern side of South America, from a palm known as the “attalea funiefera”. Brazilians call it “Piassabe”. The nuts were introduced into Western Europe in the mid-16th century, and used for small carved objects until the end of the 19th century. Coquille nut is a fruit of a Brazilian palm...

Casket Baroque, around 1760, birch burl and walnut, round lid with folding star inlay and pewter thread inlays, original lock and fittings, shellac hand polish Dimensions: Height: 14 cm Width: 26 cm Depth: 20 cm Most pieces of furniture from the Baroque era date from the period between 1670 and around 1750. Starting with strict but pompous forms, Baroque furniture developed into playful pieces of furniture with numerous curves and magnificent fittings by the middle of the 18th century. Baroque chests of drawers mostly date from the period between 1720 and 1750 and feature multiple curved fronts and veneer marquetry. Baroque tables and chairs feature lavishly curved legs, the lower ends of which end in volutes or animal hooves. Towards the end of the Baroque period and the Rococo period, the curved legs of tables and chairs merge into the frames in a single sweep. Baroque cabinets are usually disproportionately large by today's living standards, as they originally stood in castles. Heights of 2.40 to 2.60 meters are not uncommon for baroque cabinets. In early Baroque furniture...

The dense carving of this 19th century South Indian sandalwood jewellery box is so lively and animated.

A Victorian calamander toilet box with ten silver mounted jars, by William Neal, London, dated 1874. The box with fall front, two drawers and secret drawer,...

This is an antique presentation insignia box. An Italian, cased medal and epaulette campaign chest, dating to the late Victorian period, circa 1900. A fascinating and rare piece of m...

This is an antique tea caddy. An English, rosewood and satinwood container with glass mixer, dating to the late Regency period, circa 1830. Delightful R...

Beautiful organic scandinavian jewelry box, made of teak wood. In very good condition.

Secret Pen Box “There’s something deep inside my psyche that is fascinated with secret compartments. Perhaps it has to do with my childhood on the farm. It was a time of constant discovery. Being free to roam over hundreds of acres of rugged bushland, I was forever discovering the secret places where the small birds, animals and insects of the bush hid from prying eyes. Discovering them took many hours and sometimes days of patience and skill. Just like discovering where we have placed secret compartments within our pieces. This box has been made with great skill and passion. And it is very difficult to discover it’s secrets. I know this unique treasure will become a well-loved family heirloom. Please enjoy it, and all the joy and intrigue it will bring you”…David Boucher This intriguing box of drawers provides storage for up to thirty-one pens and features five very secret opening mechanisms. It was created in its entirety in our workrooms in Toowoomba, Australia. The attention to detail is meticulous. There’s a concealed top tray along with four ‘hidden’ drawers that have no obvious way of opening. Each item of material was painstakingly selected. Macassar Ebony, North Queensland Figured Butt Maple (It’s amazing story can be read below) red Shagreen and Italian leather. The very intricate drawer-opening mechanisms and the nickel-plated brass feet have been custom made for this piece. Drawer sides are made from quarter-sawn solid Queensland Silver Ash and feature very fine, hand-cut dovetails. Each drawer is precision fitted with fine red Italian leather. There are even protective leather pads with intricately folded edges under each foot. The box is beautifully hand finished with a durable satin lacquer. Signed and engraved with the registered number. PLEASE NOTE : Maximum pen diameter capacity • Top opening compartment -Maximum Pen diameter - 23mm • 3 drawers – Maximum Pen diameter - 25mm A video explaining how to access each of the secret opening systems will be supplied to the purchaser. (The story of this North Queensland figured Butt Maple that has been used inside the lid of the Secret Pen Box. “The figure and colour of this amazing piece timber is the result of a rare trick of nature. Some 200 years ago, a large North Queensland Maple tree fell victim to the destructive force of a Pacific Ocean cyclone. Few trees survived the storm, but this tree was different. It was destined for much bigger things. The tree was crushed, bent and twisted by the massive cyclonic winds, but when all fell calm, it was still standing. Over the next 100 years, the bent and heavily leaning tree grew to become a massive giant. The timber grain inside became wrinkled from the compression and slowly developed into a treasure box of colour and figure. When the tree finally died, it was recovered and taken to an old country sawmill in the high country inland from Cairns in North Queensland in 1901. At the mill it was in the process of being sawn into house framing when the incredible figure of the wood's grain was exposed. The alert mill owner stopped the saw, seeing a far bigger purpose for the amazing timber in the log. His decision to have the timber cut into veneers was to have far reaching implications. The log was taken by bullock wagon to Cairns, …an amazing journey in those days. The wagon was precariously winched down the treacherous tracks over the side of the Great Dividing Range. This was done in short stages with a series of large pulley blocks and ropes tied to trees along the hillside, using the bullock team to counterbalance the weight of the wagon and its load. From there it was hauled to Cairns harbour and floated out to be winched aboard a waiting sailing ship for the long trip to Sydney, some three thousand kilometres away. There an old German veneer maker had a small veneer factory where the log was cut into the spectacular veneers you see here today. The old man was so amazed with the pattern, that he took them home and secreted them away in his wine cellar, there to be kept in storage waiting for a "special purpose", worthy of their extreme rarity. Upon his death, the veneers were passed into the safe keeping of his daughter and her husband, and subsequently, after a four year negotiation, were obtained by David Boucher on the promise that his amazing designs would properly fulfil the "special purpose" that her father had wished for them. This is the same timber that was used to make a beautiful Writing Compendium...

Exceptional big Italian Pharmacy pot with cover from Tuscany,Italy, elegant object with few decorations, good old patina and warm finish of the wood, ...

Elegant large footed wooden music box with top finely hand painted and inlaid with foliages floral decor.A Sorrento Italy Romance Inlayed Wood Music Box Handcrafted in Italy, upon opening, the music box begins to play a theme. Elegant large footed wooden music box with top finely hand painted with foliages. The box is made in Italy stamped in the bottom. The musical movement...

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

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...

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...

Gucci signed silver-plate box with immaculate satinwood lining. The top has the iconic horse bit motif. Extremely rare vintage 1970 Gucci Italy silver plated horse-bit decorated bo...

Georgian Tea Chest with Boxwood & Ebony Checkered Stringing From our Tea Caddy collection, we are delighted to offer this Rare Georgian Satinwood Tea Chest. The Tea Chest of rectang...