19th Century Boxes

19th century lidded box made from paper-machiere.

A delightful and intricately decorated lacquer box for storing incense, kogo, in the form of a traditional farm house, Meiji period (1864 - 1912), late 19th century, Japan. The kogo, or small box for storing incense, takes the whimsical form of a traditional Japanese home, minka, with the removable high, thatched roof serving as the cover for the box. The exterior of the home has been painstakingly decorated in maki-e lacquer against a matte black lacquer ground. Traditional shoji doors, bamboo blinds...

Late 19th century woven birch backpack. Robust bentwood frame and rim, with woven strips of birch. Original tin latch and iron eyes for either leather or string straps. Found in its ...

19th Century antique domed painted Italian decoupage chest/box. Outdoor scenes with characters throughout on red background.

This Antique lacquered lunch box from Shan Xi, China has over 140 years history and still maintained very good condition. There are some traditional carving works on the two sides handle and shows the traditional style of Northern China's cultural. This antique lunch box...

Superb quality antique Victorian burr walnut and brass mounted tea caddy having a superb quality antique Victorian burr walnut tea caddy with a d...

This exquisite, antique pigskin hat box was crafted in France, circa 1870. This leather high box features leather straps and handle embellished with decorative brass nail heads, and the inside is dressed with the original red velvet upholstery. The piece is in excellent condition and has a rich patinated brown leather finish. This hat box would make a unique addition to a travel, trunk or fashion accessory collection. A top hat (also called a high hat, a cylinder hat, or a topper), is a tall, flat-crowned hat for men traditionally associated with formal wear in Western dress codes, meaning white tie, morning dress, or frock coat. Traditionally made of black silk or sometimes grey, the top hat emerged in Western fashion by the end of 18th century. Although it declined by the time of the counterculture of the 1960s, it remains a formal fashion accessory. A collapsible variant of a top hat, developed in the 19th century, is known as an opera hat...

Inlaid mother of pearl truck , the top with multiple cast iron studs and the corners feature an interesting pattern of tiny brass beads. The sides have wrought iron carrying handles ...

An original Thomas Milner sheet iron safety box / deed box, ruggedly constructed of sheet iron with soldered seams & fitted with twin hinged carrying handle...

Rosewood writing box with writing slope and hand-tooled leather, with mother-of-pearl inlay, the fitted interior with blue velvet lining and storage compartments. Completely original...

Beautiful 19th century English Regency burl walnut tea caddy. Lovely shape and pretty details including decorative handles on the sides. Makes an elegant statement!

A very elegant large French well figured mahogany inlaid with Brass stringing Casket of very generous proportions and of outstanding Museum quality, firmly attributed to Alphonse Tah...

A charming fine quality antique French demilune decorative box from the late 19th century, finished in stunning rich briar elm burlwood, the half-moon shaped bentwood revolving door table or desk box - jewelry casket - trinket keepsake small cabinet - old fashioned cigarette case, features flower...

English 19th century burl walnut writing box of unusual interior conformation. The exterior of the box is inlaid with a transitional English ship, having both sail and steam capabilities , sailing on the open seas. She is made of ebony, boxwood and sails on a sycamore sea. The front panel is inlaid in perspective cube made of boxwood, satinwood, sycamore and ebony enclosed with delicate stringing. the end panels are of lively walnut and the back panel is in flame mahogany; all are enclosed by delicate stringing.. The interior has a mahogany writing panel which hinges down to write upon; the interior of that space retains its original red paper lining. The space in the bottom of the box has wells for oddments and ink; two of the compartments have bottoms which slide to the center and reveal hidden spaces beneath them. Complete with lock and key (key replaced). Circa 1870. Trinity House boxes...

A superb quality large early 19th century rectangular papier mache table snuff box with hand painted interior scene Circa 1800 to 1810. A note inside relating to the original owner. ...

English Victorian-style rectangular light wood box with star and diamond shape inlays, with 3 compartments.  

RARE EUROPEAN MUSIC BOX 19th Century European, box with 50 discs of 30 cm, double comb, manufactured in the late 19th century. Stone-eye capped with metal application. Top decorate...

Mid 19th Century Asian Wooden decorative storage box with lid. Measures 13.5"W x 11"D x 11.5"H.

This a large oval hand painted porcelain vanity box. It depicts a scene of two Victorian young ladies in a garden. One of the ladies is seated in the green grass observing the other ...

PRESENTING A STUNNING 19C Irish Coromandel Wood Campaign Decanter Box. STUNNING mid-Victorian Decanter box from circa 1860-1880. Made in Dublin...

Amazing French antique 19th century Napoleon III Jewelry box made from Burl Wood. What an amazing look this polished burl wood made with high quality craftsmanship This jewelry b...

Small freemasonry porcelain box. Polychrome decoration, Masonic attributes. Mark below. A little rust.  

Nice and unusual Indian Mughal style large decorative box, filigree and carved horn. Anglo-Indian footed domed box with exceptional engraved details throughout with filigree and carved veneered bone plaques with arabesque carving. Vizagapatam, late 19th century. History of the Anglo-Indian Boxes Beginning in the early part of the 18th century, Indian artisans made what came to be known as Anglo-Indian boxes for the English residents living in India, who eventually brought or sent them back to England. At the beginning of the 19th century, India began exporting these boxes commercially, although not in any significant numbers until the 1850s. People valued them so highly that manufacturers of tins copied the designs on them in the late 19th and early 20th century. Anglo-Indian boxes fall into four groups: Rosewood or ebony boxes inlaid; sandalwood boxes veneered; sandalwood boxes covered with Sadeli mosaic; and carved boxes often combined with Sadeli mosaic/ The first two categories came from Vizagapatam in East India while the last two came from Bombay in West India. English traders discovered the rich woods and intricate workmanship of Indian artisans, so colonial government officials began to recognize the work of the Indian artists and craftsmen as a source for satisfying the need for furniture and boxes, which would both serve to enhance English households in India. This gave rise to the cabinetmaking workshops in Vizagapatam between Calcutta and Madras. Craftsmen made the first boxes to be decorated with Sadeli mosaic of rosewood or ebony, incised to give further definition to the decoration, directly inlaid into the wood. The shape of the early boxes was either sloping at the front with a flatter section at the back, reminiscent of English writing slopes, or rectangular. Artisans inlaid the borders with stylized floral scrolls and the centers with a single floral motif following a circular or oval symmetrical or asymmetrical pattern. The edging was ornamental and protective, both helped protect the end grain against the weather. Made in Vizagapatam, situated on the south east coast of India, near Madras These exotic boxes...

Regency rosewood sarcophagus form Tea Caddy. With circular Brass keyhole escutcheon plate.

Superb example of an English Regency Mahoganu Double Teacaddy of traditional sarcophagus outline, with lavish brass inlay decoration. The dome shaped hinged lid enclosing a complete ...

It is particularly rare to find Antique English 19th century boxes that are "signed" by its manufacturer. This one, stamped clearly on the inside top edge "Halstaff & Hannaford, 228 ...

A superb antique and finely painted sarcophagus-form wooden singing bird box, by Alfred Bontems. Going-barrel movement A stunning painting on each...

A beautifully made mahogany apprentices' practice chest of drawers with satinwood inlay. Handsome mouldings at top and and carved plinth at the bottom....

A beautiful hand painted, domed shape wig box with brass corners and incised brass surround around lock. Painted interior.

English Victorian burl wood traveling vanity / make up box with ebonized trim edge and a small lower drawer; interior holding 9 various silver boxes and...

Antique Victorian campaign writing desk slope. Made of walnut featuring purple velvet writing surface with multiple compartments and functional l...

Rustic Spanish chateau champagne grape harvesting basket constructed from woven wicker reeds. Features a thick braided top with handles ...

Antique English Victorian mahogany teapoy, Circa 1880-1890.

Painted pine brass studded box, the top, front, and sides are decorated with brass studs in rectangle shapes with concave corners; sides have brass carr...

WMF Art Nouveau Germany painted glass and gilt dresser box, 1900s. An exceptional example of the WMF Art Nouveau workmanship, combining the gilt figural stylized handles, holding an ...

Manopan crank musical organ. 19th Century. It is complete but it does not work, it needs to be revised. It has 6 cards with spanish songs of the time. G...

19th century European hand painted domed trinket box, folk art style.

Victorian rosewood and mother-of-pearl jewellery/sewing box having pretty pewter and mother-of-pearl inlay to the top and side, mother-of-pearl lock es...

A 19th century Stuart Tartanware tea caddy. A single compartment caddy, marked Stuart to lid; 4 1/4 inches (11 cm) Tall by 4 1/4 inches (11 cm) Wide by 4 inches (10.2 cm) Deep. This ...

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...

A stunning antique Bohemian enameled art glass hinged lid jewelry casket - table box by renowned luxury glass maker Moser. Exquisitely hand-made in Bohemia (present day Czech Republic) in the late 19th century, artistic Art Nouveau period opulence, featuring very fine quality hand-blown polished...

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...

Japanese late Meiji period A Large Organizer Red Lacquered Box, decorated with irises and butterflies in gold and black.

Scottish sewing set of Tartan ware, 19th century Set of 4 items of Tartanware, Scottish sewing set, exists of a rectangular box, marked by Stuart A thread...

English William IV mahogany tambour writing box with drawer.  The tambour top is serpentine in shape, rolls back and reveals a place for writing utensils and ink (a removable open narrow box...

Swedish 19th century birchwood veneer jewelry box. The box has a heart of brass for keyhole and knob hardware of antler.

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...

Antique treen 'barrel form' softwood box or caddy - lovely rich patina - lathe turned pine - reddish brown stain - scored bands to the top and bottom - l...

Very beautiful box from the Biedermeier period, made of walnut veneer on a spruce body, the bottom of the box is solid walnut. In the box there is a mirror in the lid and the upper p...

A fine quality, charming 19th century Regency Italian late baroque period walnut 2-drawer table, late 17th/early 18th century period rosewood writing box h...

A Swedish blue and red painted pine-wood box from the Gustavian period or the early 19th Century. The hand painted flower decoration has still the remaining of the rococo period kind...

A fine Victorian simulated faux tortoise shell tea caddy Circa 1890 Some of our items are in storage so please check ahead of a viewing to see if it is on our shop floor Offered i...

Entirely carved antique box for playing cards with inlaid, enameled miniature cards on top, ca 1880. If you are a collector of rare and stylish hand carved Black Forest antiques in ...

This beautifully painted antique box was crafted in France, circa 1870. The chest features hand painted women wearing oriental clothes and dancing. Th...

An antique Chinese Qing Dynasty red and dark brown lacquer elmwood jewelry box from the 19th century with carved and gilt motifs. Created in China during the Qing Dynasty era, this j...

Gorgeous Tramp Art box / Jewelry box marked 1893 and decorated with brass. The box contains multiple guns & pike helmets and a lions head holding a brass ring to open the chest. ...

Presenting a superb 19C Anglo Indian Sadeli Mosaic greeting card case. Made in or around Bombay, India circa 1880. This is a greeting card case used for holding your greeting cards or business cards of the day ! The body of the case is made from sandalwood and it is fully overlaid with bone and highly intricate Sadeli Mosaic made up of thousands of micro mosaic pieces of bone, ebony, silver/pewter and semi precious stone. The workmanship is stupenduous !!!! This case is almost museum quality. One or two very, very minor losses of mosaic mainly where the top meets the body but otherwise near mint ! 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...

19th Century Japanese inro with 3 lacquered wooden compartments, 63 x 70 x 22 mm in size. Weight 39.1 g. Additional information: Material: Lacquered ...