Southeast Asian Boxes

Elegant, exotic, and unmistakably refined, shagreen has long captivated those with a discerning eye for luxury. Derived from stingray skin, this richly textured material first appear...

This is a very stylish tessellated pen shell, bone and wood box most likely by Maitland Smith and made in the Philippines. This long, slender beauty measures 15 1/2" x 7 1/2" x 2.75"...

This set of 3 round boxes in black shagreen by R&Y Augousti showcases a design that seamlessly marries form and function. Each box features a perfectly symmetrical circular shape...

Here is a very handsome tessellated box in a rich, amber-colored pen shell material. The box is hinged and lined with a black felt-like material. This box is in very good condition w...

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 Rhomboid jewelry chest in cream shagreen by R&Y Augousti is a stunning geometric piece to store your personal items. This piece has 3 drawer compartments and a flap top opening that have black velvet...

A wonderful example of an Akha Tribe spice basket, with a stunning woven pattern on all sides and crafted from a mix of rattan. This basket was once used to store precious spices and...

Impressive turtle box or object of art with a removable faux tortoise shell veneer lid with a frog handle over a cast bronze base with a lush patina and Asian motifs. Signed Maitland...

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...

Lines of shagreen cover elegant tissue box, allowing subtle differences in the natural tone and texture of each panel.

Description: Tissue box Color: Caramel Size: 14 x 14 x 15 H cm Material: PU Collection: Knotted.

Graphic patterned keepsake box clad in natural and ink blue dyed bone. Tiles are hand set on a wood box.

This striking vintage decorative chest showcases a unique faceted silhouette, expertly clad in hand-applied split rattan and bamboo. The geometric construction offers a sophisticated...

Alexander Lamont presents a Limited Edition collection of handcrafted tissue boxes wrapped in their signature material of shagreen. A perfect balance of elegance and function, each b...

This striking and unusual, this Hollywood Regency lidded decorative box was crafted by the renowned luxury design house Maitland-Smith during the mid 1980s. The substantial piece fea...

Tessellated penshell decorative box with black velvet interior attributed to Maitland Smith

This is a vintage elegant tessellated stone dresser box. This box is tessellated with an iridescent plum colored stone with a brass banded detail around the edge. This box is in the ...

Circular form with flattened doomed covers, the covers with a medallion of flower with full bloom, the bowls with two round borders. Period : Qing Dynasty, Kangxi-Yongzheng Period P...

An exceptional, fine and impressive antique Burmese silver box; an addition to our diverse Asian silverware collection. This exceptional antique Bu...

Elegant Coque de Oeuf or Eggshell Lacquered Lidded Box, made by Maitland Smith, Vietnam, circa 1980s.

This open brass box was originally the case of an early 20th century betel box set from Indonesia, filled with small containers that held the individual ingredients of a betel quid. ...

Slightly eccentric vintage jewelry box with a cast bronze hippopotamus standing on a three drawer chest clad in marble veneer and set on four bro...

The "Victoria" Box Set by Kifu Paris in white oak exudes a serene, organic luxury. The natural texture of the white oak offers a soft, refined aesthetic that brings warmth and sophis...

Modernist keepsake, document box clad in Black, White resin stripes accented with brass inlay stripes.

This footed offering box from southeast Asia brings vibrant color and folk charm to modern interiors as a vide-poche or catch-all dish. The vintage box is shaped of hand-turned wood ...

Pumpkin shape life size tessellated storage box with brass stem and leaf attributed to Maitland-Smith.

A gorgeous Kifu Paris decorative box in creme shagreen over a rich walnut base, exuding elegance and craftsmanship. The lid features an expertly crafted celestial motif, incorporatin...

Vintage coastal bamboo eeed and faux snakeskin chest or decorative box. Simple treasure chest shape and feel. Boho and British colonial aesthetic. Functions as intended. Each line ...

Exquisite Maitland Smith Tessellated Rosso Levanto Marble Box, ca 1990s. This octagonal slope sided box is clad in a beautiful tessellated rosso levanto marble and accented with a ...

Hand painted Faux onyx Maitland Smith decorative box with hinged lid and brass feet. Wonderful brush work make this quite the decorative ite...

Decorative keepsake/jewelry box clad in natural and dyed bone tiles. Top is in a Moorish motif of inlaid Turquoise bone elements. Handcrafted.

Hand made, large scale document/keepsake box clad in hand dyed black, grey bone tiles in a striped pattern. Hand polished, some with hand etching detail.

This 20th century treasure chest with hand-carved details comes from Madura Island, Indonesia. This chest is made of a rectangular wood box mounted on a carved base featuring gilt fo...

A Dutch colonial box from Batavia in the former Dutch East Indies. Hand-carved with floral motives in ebony, used for jewelry or letters, ca. 1800. Origi...

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

A gorgeous decorative box in creme shagreen by R & Y Augousti, renowned for their expert craftsmanship and luxury design. The lid is adorned with brass inlay and features an intricat...

This set of three square boxes by R&Y Augousti is a masterclass in luxury craftsmanship, merging sleek design with sumptuous materials. The textured black shagreen wraps each pie...

In many southeast Asian cultures, offering guests a betel quid to chew was the fundamental symbol of hospitality. A blend of leaves, nuts, seasonings, and sometimes tobacco, betel was kept in finely worked and decorated boxes. This round betel box...

A scarce fine quality antique silver-inlaid solid brass betel nut box (Lutuan), dating to the second half of the 19th / early 20th century, hand-crafted in Mindanao, Philippines. Boxes such as this were used to store the areca nut (also known as the betel nut) which would be wrapped in a betel leaf with lime paste and other ingredients, often tobacco, for chewing. Similar to the European tea caddy, these boxes often served as a way to impress while showing off ones wealth. Betel chewing was prevalent in the southern Philippines as in much of the rest of Southeast Asia. Wealthier Maranao families on Mindanao were able to afford elaborate silver-inlaid brass betel boxes such as this example. Such boxes were used to show off to guests and from which they were offered betel and the other component such as leaves and lime to make up the betel quid. Rare large size, most extant examples of such boxes tend to measure around 5 inches in length. At slightly more than 7.75 inches the example here is larger than most. The distinctive decorative box features a very heavy strong-box like rectangular shaped chest form with canted corners, copper handles, and a conforming hinged lid, lifting open to reveal an interior divided into three compartments covered by four hinged lids. Each of these doors is inlaid with silver in stylized orchid flower patterns. Exceptionally executed throughout, the arabesque silver inlaid exterior is decorated to the top with a large orchid motif within scrolling obid-obid (stylized rope) borders. The front, back and sides are inlaid with sets of stylized tail feathers of the sari-manok bird beneath which are unusual, highly stylized whimsical zoomorphic faces that appear like cat or tiger faces. (Such stylisation is accounted for by Southeast Asian Islamic preferences to avoid the overt and this potentially idolatrous representation of animal and human forms. Designs such as these are drawn from a local design repertoire that has its origins in wood carving. Although the spread of Islam in the Philippines began in the 14th century, mostly through the influence of Muslim merchants from the western Malay Archipelago, decorative arts in this design remain exceptionally rare. This lutuan represents a fine example of Islamic metalwork from the most eastern outreach of Islamic art and civilisation: Mindanao island being significantly further east than even China – artwork from Islamic Southeast Asia remains chronically under-represented in the world’s major collections of Islamic art. PROVENANCE / ACQUISITION Acquired from highly reputable auction house, Austin Auction Gallery, established 1983, Austin, Texas. References Brownrigg, H., Betel Cutters...

Impressive large cedar lined lidded box entirely decorated with seashells featuring silver plate on brass shells, star fish and crabs on the top and craw fish as feet. Labeled Maitla...

Maitland Smith tessellated stone box with a mother of pearl finial handle. The interior of the box is lined with a black felt and has a removable lid. The box rests on sterling silver ball and claw feet as well as the entirety of the box is framed with a sterling silver border. History and craftsmanship for nearly four decades Maitland-Smith has been in the business of creating exquisite and unique decorative accessories, lighting and accent furniture and elegant mirrors from our La Barge Collection. Founded by a London antiques dealer with the eye of a connoisseur, Maitland-Smith has carried on the tradition of creating stunning accents for the home of the highest quality. From the beginning, our many workrooms have been artisan based and employ time-honored techniques developed before the machine age. Many of these skills date back to the world’s earliest civilizations, and are associated with Fine quality furniture and decorative arts. Maitland-Smith is well-known for many handcrafted specialties, including hand carved tropical mahogany, handcut and inlaid exotic wood veneers, lost wax cast metal mounts and decorative objects, as well as, traditional vegetable tanned and hand-tooled leather. Other areas of expertise include finely executed porcelains, sophisticated finishing techniques, and detailed hand painting. Maitland Smith draws inspiration from great works from the 18th, 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries and in collaboration with design partners Tony Duquette Studios and its president, Hutton Wilkinson and also Celerie Kemble, Donald Bustraan...

This vintage boho parquet rattan lidded box is a perfect blend of natural craftsmanship and functional storage. Featuring a beautifully woven herringbone pattern and reinforced with ...

Add a touch of sculptural luxury to your coffee table or vanity with this exquisite vintage tessellated stone box. Reminiscent of the high-end designs by Maitland-Smith, this piece f...

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...

An elegant late 20th century leather-wrapped decorative box attributed to Maitland-Smith. The oval form is clad in rich brown leather with delicate gilt embossed borders and topped b...

This exquisite set of two boxes by Kifu Paris showcases the luxurious craftsmanship and meticulous attention to detail that the brand is renowned for. Handcrafted in grey shagreen, t...

The Black Shagreen Tissue Box by R&Y Augousti is a sublime expression of modern elegance and meticulous craftsmanship. Encased in luxurious shagreen, its textured finish exudes r...

Handsome vintage decorative box by Maitland-Smith, handmade in the Philippines, circa 1980s. The piece is crafted in richly toned wood, likely mahogany or mahogany-finished hardwood,...

A gorgeous Neoclassical style oval metal toleware box, chest, or bin with lid on stand By Maitland Smith Philippines, Late 20th Century Black lacquer...

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 ...

Beautiful rare jewelry box in a faux textured leather finish with wood frame , and patinated solid brass feet accents excellent condition elegant.

Designed exclusively by Urban Art Home, this is a distinct and elegant decorative wood box made with lacquer and embellished with a sculpted sterling silver dragon. The square box ...

An exceptional, oversized, and highly stylized vintage Hollywood Regency decorative box in a striking architectural pagoda silhouette, designed and handcrafted by the premier luxury home furnishings maker Maitland-Smith, circa 1980s. This commanding piece is beautifully executed with an exterior clad entirely in rich, warm golden-brown lacquered split bamboo (or "burnt bamboo") reeds laid in a tight, geometric step-pyramid formation. The corner brackets and base are organically modeled after wrapped bamboo poles, raising the form elegantly off the surface. The tier-stepped lid ascends to a square panel meticulously inlaid with rows of tightly coiled natural jute rope, beautifully contrasted by a double border of twisted silvertone metal rope trim and crowned with a heavy, classic cast-metal finial. The fitted top lifts away completely to reveal a luxuriously lined black velvet interior, perfectly scaled to offer a 3" cubed storage compartment for safely holding jewelry, watches, or precious keepsakes. To ensure fine furniture remains pristine, the underside of the base is similarly lined in matching protective black velvet. Retaining its original, authentic Maitland-Smith paper label adhered directly to the black velvet on the bottom, this high-quality, substantial box serves as a magnificent sculptural centerpiece for a sophisticated interior. Offered in excellent vintage condition with an incredibly rich, original lacquered finish and only minor, age-appropriate surface wear. Maitland Smith pagoda...

The "Victoria" Box Set by Kifu Paris is crafted from luxurious black pen shell, bringing a natural depth and shine that only this material can offer. The smooth, lacquered finish of ...

This box is in a black and Orange lacque. It has been made in Vietnam circa 1970. The decorative pattern is with fishes under the water. The hinges o...

Beautiful Lacquered Wooden Box, Vietnam, 20th Century This exquisite lacquered wooden box from Vietnam, crafted in the 20th century, is a stunning example of traditional Vietnames...

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...

This box is from the Asian continent, made in the period, 1950-1960. We can see cane on the border, that gives an handmade authenticity and image to the item. It is in good condition...

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 stunning set of two boxes by Kifu Paris, crafted from luxurious black pen shell, is a masterpiece of opulence and sophistication. The natural iridescence of the pen shell, with ...

The "Coco" round box in grey shagreen with bronze patina brass exudes unparalleled luxury and craftsmanship. Its impeccably quilted shagreen surface is a tactile masterpiece, echoing...