South Asian Boxes

Beautiful silvered metal box of an elephant in a very traditional Anglo -Indian craft, art. Has an amazing age patina in contrast with the inside, as shown.

1950s Vintage Asian Large Hand Carved Wooden Humidor Box. Hand-carved Kashmiri style Mid 20th century wood box richly decorated overall with s...

A splendid Dutch-colonial Sinhalese ebony two-door cabinet with silver mounts Sri Lanka, Kandy, 2nd half 17th century, the mounts later The cabinet with a central drawer with hidde...

19th Century Hand Painted Kashmiri Vessel A stylish late 19th Century hand painted Kashmiri vessel. Covered in intricate painted flowers a...

Decorative jewelry box in tessellated exotic tigers eye with velvet interior.

Moorish style micro mosaic marquetry inlaid jewelry box with lid. Intricate inlaid Anglo Indian box with floral and geometric Islamic Moorish mosaic Sadeli design in a square shape form with mosaic inlay and marquetry, very fine artwork, lined in red velvet. 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...

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...

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...

Vintage cloisonné round trinket box, with black and gold flower and foliage decorating the lid. Made in India sticker on bottom.

A pair of very fine silver filigree rosewater sprinklers Possibly India, Karimnagar, early 18th century Measures: Height 31.6 cm and 31.7 cm,...

Impressive Anglo Indian rectangular hinged box handcrafted in rosewood with inlaid bone and ebony in geometric designs and plenty of decorative appeal.

19th century Anglo-Indian sandal wood box, Sadeli mosaic box fitted with various compartments finely hand-carved with the Taj Mahal. Of sarcophagus form ...

An exquisite 19th century luxury sailor's box in sandalwood with dramatically contrasting bone and ebony geometric decoration and string inlay having raised center tier with sliding ...

A charming vintage Kashmiri heart-shaped paper mâché box, exquisitely hand-painted with vibrant floral decorations. This piece exemplifies the traditio...

A beautiful unique Indian motif box with a lid. This piece would be fantastic for storing cigars, tv remotes, or miscellaneous items on a dresser or coffee table. The top of the box ...

Burmese bamboo temple offering lidded box, basket. This kind of wooden basket is used to transport and display offerings to Buddhist temples, in Asia....

A fine Indo-Portuguese inlaid teak wood figure of Nagini India, Goa, 17th century Measure: H. 55 cm (with stand, and with ring for wall hanging) The sculpture can be perceived as such but probably is one of four legs of an Indo-Portuguese contador...

Anglo Raj carved soap stone footed jewelry box.. Handcrafted decorative box with foliage design with soap stone natural jade like colors. Lined with red velvet. Very nice fine art...

A richly detailed Indian dowry box dating to the late 18th century, crafted during the final decades of the Mughal Empire. This pyramidal casket is construct...

Box Duke with all structure in solid brass and stainless steel in old silver plated finish. Box with lid.

Fine antique Anglo-Indian hand carved wooden jewelry box inlaid. A Nice Mughal Anglo Indian Pen Box 19th Century The box with a Mughal I...

A beautifully decorated Indian metal box with a stone of amber on the top. 1920s or earlier There once was a fabric inside but it has disintegrated you can see it, all of the fibers ...

A charming satin and rosewood, ebony and teak collectors’ table-cabinet Sri Lanka, second half of the 18th century Measures: H. 86.5 x W. 62.5 x D. 34.7 cm In the top of the shaped cornice, there is a carving of a butterfly or moth. Under the cornice two panelled doors with scorched chequered motif, and under the doors one long drawer. When the doors are locked, so is the drawer. Behind the two doors, there are eight drawers, suitable to store small collectors’ items, such as a coin collection, or mineral specimens, small shells, collections of animal teeth, etc. The 17th and 18th centuries saw a wide-spread interest in exotic cultures and collecting of botanical, zoological and geological specimens...

India, probably made in Gujarat for Portuguese Goa, late 17th/early 18th century The tortoiseshell laid over gold foil, and the interior with red lacquer and possibly later added re...

Silver cigarette case of Taj Mahal.

Very large beautiful vintage handcrafted decorative round copper box with lid, latch and handle Delicately and intricately hand-hammered with geometric designs. Hand crafted by skill...

A diminutive carved pink marble Postmodern cylindrical trinket box. The perfect size for gifting a piece of jewelry or as a gift in itself for a box collector. In excellent condition...

A MUGHAL INDIAN BRASS ENGRAVED BETEL PANDAN BOX Northern India. 18th Century. Length: 4 1/4" in. (10.9 cm.), width: 3 1/4" in., (8.3 cm.), height: 2" in.,...

Moorish decorative gilt porcelain flask with lid. The bottle is shaped into soft ripples and given a radiant gold finish. Nice decorative object with a lid in the shape of a Moorish ...

A large Indian Colonial ‘Vizagapatam’ pen-engraved bone inlaid ebony box Masulipatnam or Vizagapatam, 2nd half 18th century H. 10.8 x W. 47 x D. 34 cm ...

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 ...

Labradorite semiprecious stone box with hinged lid. Labradorite displays an iridescent optical effect (or schiller) known as labradorescence. La...

Mid-20th Century Anglo-Indian Inlaid Bone Jewelry or Trinket Box. Box features hand-cut bone tiles arranged in a paneled pattern, giving the piece a subtle textural appeal and natura...

An exceptional, fine and impressive antique Indian silver card case; an addition to our diverse Asian silverware collection This fine antique Indian silver card case has a shaped rectangular form. The anterior surface of this case is embellished with a fine and impressive chased decorated panel depicting a scene with four characters in a boat above a shaped cartouche displaying the contemporary bright cut engraved initials ‘EH’. The reverse surface is ornamented with a chased decorated panel illustrating a male and female character in period Asian dress clasping each other under a tree canopy. The shaped sides and border to both the anterior and reverse surfaces are plain and unembellished. This antique silver card case is fitted with a hinged cover. Condition This fine antique solid silver card...

Natural white and dyed bone on wood box with felt lining. The intricate traditional field pattern is framed by stringing and a marquetry & rosewood patterned border. The hinged lid i...

A fine early 19th century coromandel work box with moulded front design and fitted interior containing a super collection of sea shells. Ivory registration number 8NEDUS4R.

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...

An anglo Indian workbox made of ebony. The tray lifts up from the box on the lid which is also inlaid in ivory and ebony and has a bone round disc that is signed New Bedford 1810. Th...

Anglo-Indian inlaid box with elephant motif (circa 1920s). Dimensions: 14"H x 19.5"W x 13"D.

This Anglo-Indian silver casket is inscribed on a central panel to the front with the following: 'Presented to / Mr. A. L. Guildford, B.Sc. M.I.E....

Galle district, 18th century The box is made of amboyna burr with inlays of ebony, bone and burr wood and has several interior compartments, all made with the utmost attention to de...

This exquisite antique box from 19th century India is a true treasure with its rich patina and traces of green paint. The brass studs add a real touch making it a genuine statement p...

A breathtaking example of Anglo-Indian artistry, this antique tea caddy is a masterpiece of meticulous craftsmanship. The domed lid and sides are veneered in a stunning, highly-figur...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this lovely, super decorative antique Islamic Anglo Indian Sadeli Micro Mosaic Card Case A wonderfully orig...

A Latched Wooden Box with Brass Overlay Decorations, 20th Century Descriptions: The ebon rectangular box decorated with overlaid Arabesque brass motifs punctuated by nailhead boss...

Early 20th Century hand carved Kashmiri royal cavalry cigar box A rare survivor from the 1st world war in the form of a hand carved Kashmiri cigar box. Covered in ornate relief flora...

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

A lovely round papier mâché box that has been hand painted with a gold oak leaf design. The top has a finial. The interior and bottom are black. Circa 1960s, Kashmir, India.  

1920s Anglo-Raj Hand-Painted Rajasthani Dowry Box A striking early 20th-century Anglo-Raj decorative wooden box, hand-painted and richly detailed with romantic and courtly scenes. Or...

Hand-carved large wooden Anglo-Raj jewelry box. Early 20th century wood box richly decorated overall with arabesques and floral carving. Hinged lid shallow relief carving with interi...

Fabulous Indian box made of bone and pierced brass with a wood bottom.A very nice design. Turn of the century, India.

Nice Indian box in green lacquered wood dating from the end of the 20th century. It is decorated with delicate gold, black and green pattern.

Nettur Petti jewellery box, Dowry box, 19th century (possibly older) With piramid shaped lid. These boxes were inspired by the temple architecture of Kera...

Paw Jar is a delightful object from the Forest collection. It has intricate brass and resin inlay in blue and pink, with an endearing leafy lid. For his debut creations, Marcanton...

Contemporary Indian bone box with natural cream colored rectangular box design Also available in a smaller size ( S6530 ) as well as three sizes of tra...

Antique South Indian Malabar Dowry Jewelry Box, 19th Century Teak with Brass – Kerala, India A rare and collectible South Indian dowry box from Kerala...

Antique 19th Century Indian Kutch solid silver cigarette case of heavy gauge, featuring intricate floral repoussé work on a matted background. The rectangular case has engraved edges...

A gleaming maroon straw marquetry box with a gold foiled base. Compact, refined and irresistibly cosmic in its allure. The finishes, colours, size can be customised according to spec...

Turn of the century wooden Kashmir box. Hand painted with a striking black bird in the center surrounded by red and black accented leaves.

Anglo-Indian Ebony, Porcupine Quill, and Inlaid Bone Hexagonal Casket with Elephant Crest, Ceylon, Mid-19th Century A rare and elaborately constructed Anglo-Indian hexagonal quillwo...