Shell Boxes

Abalone shell veneered box of rectangular form with domed top and lined with rosewood. Marked Taxco on the bottom.

Water flowing over rocks creates a contrast between the sparkle of the water and the relative opacity of the rocks. In these boxes black lacquer pours over natural shells that glow a...

This is an early, exceptional lidded box designed by the famed decorative arts design firm Ria and Youri Augousti, Paris. The rare piece boasts ...

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...

This vintage coastal box is beautifully encrusted with an array of natural shells, creating a stunning, textured surface that captures the essence of beachside charm. Perfect as a de...

This beautifully crafted mother of pearl tea caddy from circa 1860 is a true testament to English craftsmanship and elegance. The exterior glows wi...

Tortoiseshell tea caddy with inlaid mother of pearl from England. Metal lined under two lids.  Excellent condition, circa 1860.

Cathrine Horsbøl (1873–1947) Jewelry box in solid mahogany with inlays of lighter woods and mother-of-pearl forming an abstract facial motif, reminiscent of a stylized ape. Denmark, ...

Dowry Box, Lombok Indonesia, Sasak, Cowrie & Painted Palm 1950’s Handwoven and richly adorned, this 1950’s Sasak dowry box from Lombok, Indonesia, captures the ceremonial artistry o...

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...

Fully Fitted Sewing Box From our Sewing Box collection, we are delighted to introduce to the market this exceptional Mother of Pearl Sewing Box...

1930s Art Déco black lacquer, eggshells and varnished wood decorative box by Jean Dunand, France By: Jean Dunand Material: wood, metal, lacquer, eggshell Technique: cast, molded, ca...

A splendid and rare jewellery box completely covered in mother-of-pearl. On the top is an antique hand-painted miniature with a bucolic subject by a follower of François Boucher. The...

English walnut and brass dome-top box with Mother-of-Pearl, ca. 1860. With 6 sewing tools, 4 have mother of pearl handles, 7 pieces of circular fabric sam...

This refined folding card case is of rectilinear form and constructed with an exterior veneered in richly figured tortoiseshell, framed by narrow linear inlays that emphasize its arc...

This finely constructed cigar case is executed in a richly mottled tortoiseshell veneer, carefully framed and edged with ivory colored mounts and inlaid panels. The exterior presents...

Georgian (George III) Period, sterling silver-mounted etched mother-of-pearl octagonal snuff box with hinged lid, London, year-hallmarked for 1803. The iridescent mother-of-pearl lid...

Antique 19th Century French gold mounted on mother of pearl, extensive traveling etui set, of elongated octagonal form, the gold mounted with polished mother of pearl panels and the lid applied with cast and enamelled floral decoration, the lid opens with a push-button. Inside enclosing the original gold and steel implements:, scissors, pen knife...

Exquisite handcrafted Middle Eastern Lebanese mosaic marquetry wood box. Small octagonal walnut Syrian style box intricately decorated with Moorish...

Raised on Four Legs with a Domed Top From our Jewellery Box collection, we are delighted to introduce into the market this stunning Tortoiseshell and Silver Jewellery Box by William...

This very old wonderful box is carved in solid wood. It can be closed by a beautiful polished mother of pearl shell. This box could be of the hand of Alexandre Noll (1890-1970), but ...

A lovely bow front tortoiseshell tea caddy inlaid with mother of pearl flowers and topped with a silver badge. English, circa 1870.

An exceptional Indo-Portuguese colonial mother-of-pearl veneered casket with silver mounts India, Gujarat, 2nd half of the 16th century, the silver mounts Goa or probably Lisbon Measures: H. 16 x W. 24.6 x D. 16.1 cm An exceptional Gujarati casket with a rectangular box and truncated pyramidal lid (with slopes on each side and a flat top) made from exotic wood, probably teak (Tectona grandis), covered with a mother-of-pearl mosaic. The tesserae, cut from the shell of the green turban sea snail (Turbo marmoratus, a marine gastropod) in the shape of fish scales, are pinned to the wooden structure with silver ball-headed nails. The casket is set on bracket feet on the corners. The masterfully engraved decoration of the silver mounts follows the most refined and erudite Mannerist repertoire of rinceaux and ferroneries dating from the mid-16th century. The high quality and refinement of the silver mounts and, likewise, the silver nails that replaced the original brass pins used to hold the mother-of-pearl tesserae in place indicate the work of a silversmith probably working in Lisbon in the second half of the 16th century. The Indian origin of this production, namely from Cambay (Khambhat) and Surat in the present state of Gujarat in north India, is, as for the last three decades, consensual and fully demonstrated, not only by documentary and literary evidence - such as descriptions, travelogues and contemporary archival documentation - but also by the survival in situ of 16th-century wooden structures covered in mother-of-pearl tesserae. A fine example is a canopy decorating the tomb (dargah) of the Sufi saint, Sheik Salim Chisti (1478-1572) in Fatehpur Sikri in Agra district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, north India. This is an artistic production, geometric in character and Islamic in nature, where usually the mother-of-pearl tesserae form complex designs of fish scales or, similar to the dishes also made using the same technique, with the thin brass sheets and pins, stylized lotus flowers. The truncated pyramidal shape corresponds, like their contemporary tortoiseshell counterparts also made in Gujarat, to a piece of furniture used in the Indian subcontinent within the Islamic world prior to the arrival of the first Portuguese. This shape, in fact, is very old and peculiar to East-Asian caskets, chests or boxes used to contain and protect Buddhist texts, the sutras. A similar chest is the famous and large reliquary chest from Lisbon cathedral that once contained the relics of the city's patron saint, Saint Vincent. Both match in shape, having the same kind of socle or pedestal and bracket feet, and in their engraved silver mountings, featuring the same type of refined, erudite decoration. Their differences lie in the silver borders that frame the entire length of the edges of the chest (both the box and the lid), pinned with silver nails, and on the lock plate, shaped like a coat of arms in the Lisbon example. Given the exceptional dimensions of the reliquary casket...

This eggshell box, made by Annam Heritage, is a 20th-century piece. It showcases decorative craftsmanship. The contrast between the light, textured lid and the dark, smooth base high...

1970s handmade domed top shell box.

A large folk art sea shell encrusted tissue box. This shell-covered box is the perfect way to add coastal design to a space. It is rectangular in sh...

Antique Sailors Valentines sea Shell box with department for matches. Unusual design, collectible piece.

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...

Very interesting set of shells collected by an amateur between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. The shells are classified by size and age either in ...

Spectacular vintage tortoise print oval box with Sea shell encrusted trim border and a porcelain crab pill box on top.

A French art deco modernist cigarette case. This is a gorgeous cigarettes case created in Paris France during the art deco period, back in the 1925-1930. The case has been crafted i...

Victorian Period, sterling silver-mounted (unmarked, but tested) Cowrie shell snuff box with hinged lid, England, Ca. 1840's. Measures 3 inches long x 2 inches deep x almost 2 inches high. Sterling silver mount is engraved Mrs. Margaret Burke...

Scottish silver mounted tiger cowary shell snuff box, 1817. The hinged lid is inscribed with "W. Legget Stock Bridge 1817," surrounded a laurel wreath,...

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...

A rare and very fine quality antique figural Palais Royal mother-of-pearl needlecase, etui or bodkin, hand-carved in the form of a young man wearing a Renaissance style hat, made in ...

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.

We present you a low wooden coffret, whose surface is covered with diamond-shaped mother of pearl tiles. This item is from Q3 of the 19th century. The mother of pearl is made of two types of seashell. Furthermore, the inside is lined with claret velvet. The frames of the lid and base are made of ivory. Presented item is in good condition. Some mother of pearls tiles...

The Paris based label has distinguished themselves since their launch, with their iconic use of shagreen mixed with brass and other exotic materials. All furniture is handcrafted by skilled artisans, ultimately making each piece unique, designed in Paris and produced in the Philippines. The set of 4 pedestal boxes are the perfect home accents to add elegance and functionality to your space. These can be used as a vanity set for your bathroom, in your office to store desk...

Sasak Dowry Box, Lombok Indonesia, Cowrie & Painted Palm 1950’s Handwoven and richly adorned, this 1950’s Sasak dowry box from Lombok, Indonesia, captures the ceremonial artistry of...

The Paris based label has distinguished themselves since their launch, with their iconic use of shagreen mixed with brass and other exotic materials. All furniture is handcrafted by ...

The ELLA boxes translate the spirit of the collection into a more intimate format. Crafted in wood, lacquer, or eggshell marquetry, they combine clean lines with refined finishes. Th...

PRESENTING a LOVELY 19C Anglo Indian Bombay MOP (Mother of Pearl) Sadeli Mosaic Trinket Box from circa 1875-85. Gorgeously detailed and hand-crafted ‘sadeli mosaic’ inlay, from the Bombay Area, with deep greens with silver, pewter, mother of pearl, bone and ebony in geometric patterns. The box case, is made of sandalwood but completely covered in MOP, bone, faux ivory, ebony and mosaic inlay. Edged with faux ivory and banded with a different pattern of sadeli mosaic. Some minor damage to the top (repair is obvious in pics) and ivorine replacements to some edging, but it still a BEAUTIFUL BOX and of real QUALITY! The mosaic work is FABULOUS! Box opens to reveal its original blue velvet lining. It sits on 4 (recently added) silvered button feet. 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...

The body and hinged lid with mother of pearl and brass-line inlay. The fitted interior is lined with purple velvet. With a brass escutcheon and bun foot.

19th century English silver plated ostrich egg box, attributed to Elkington & Co. In three parts, the silver plated lid with Acanthus leaf handle, the silver rimed egg, and the grap...

A charming 1960s French jewelry box richly decorated with hand-applied shell inlay. The rectangular form is entirely encrusted with a carefully arranged composition of scallop shells...

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 captivating Palais Royal sewing nécessaire is crafted of engraved mother of pearl mounted in rich doré bronze. The hinged box contains a remov...

Enchanting antique English box crafted with a hinged top lovingly decorated with collected exotic seashells over a cardboard bottom.

French 19th century Ormolu mother of pearl egg shaped perfume box on foot A beautiful egg shaped perfume bottle box, with interior of 2 perfume bottles wh...

Water flowing over rocks creates a contrast between the sparkle of the water and the relative opacity of the rocks. In these boxes black lacquer pours over natural shells that glow a...

Beautiful decorative handcrafted mahogany wood and natural abalone shell (Paua) inlay cigarette stash/trinket box. Made in New Zealand and still has the original tag on the top. The ...

A French 19th century writing box made of exotic rosewood. The top of the petite trunk is inlaid with a small tile of mother-of-pearl, engraved for “Charlotte”. The case opens to rev...

Rare Engine Turned Design The Sewing Box of slight sarcophagus shape stood upon four turned ribbed feet. The Sewing Box tapers up to the convex raised lid and features scrolling fl...

The Paris based label has distinguished themselves since their launch, with their iconic use of shagreen mixed with brass and other exotic materials. All furniture is handcrafted by skilled artisans, ultimately making each piece unique, designed in Paris and produced in the Philippines. Talisa jewelry chest in cream shagreen, black pen shell and brass by R&Y Augousti is a stunning piece to store your personal items. This piece has 2 doors that open to 4 drawer compartments that have black velvet trays...

A lovely vanity box crafted out of Calamander with brass inlay. It is by the prestigious British firm Sampson Mordan & Co of London. The utensils feature mother of pearl handles and ...

Vintage jewelry box in faux tessellated tortoise shell with mother-of-pearl and Abolone shell edge, circa 1970s. Simple, elegant and unique. Bin #N Jj

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

Vintage Asian Octagonal Lacquer Box With Turtle Closure. Lovely 20th century Asian lacquer box with Greek key design and a metal turtle closure. Th...

A hand crafted Sea shell box in a heart shape. The box is hinged and opens with a brass chain to hold open. Lined in red felt. A great gift, wedding o...

A large Japanese Namban lacquer arqueta coffer for the Portuguese market Kyoto, Momoyama-period, late 16th century In Hinoki cypress lacquered in ...