19th Century Boxes

This exceptional 19th-century gold box appears at first glance be an exquisite snuff box adorned with a charming Swiss enamel vista encircled by a multitude of natural pearls. A quick wind of the key, however, reveals the complex mechanism hidden inside, and the box plays a wistful tune. Once known as carillons à musique...

A fine quality and small 19th century figured satinwood stationery box with inlaid line decoration and roes of silvered pins to the top. The slant front...

Novelty Fruit Caddy From our Tea Caddy collection, we are delighted to offer this Continental Novelty Pear Fruit Tea Caddy. The Tea Caddy turned in Sycamore shaped as a natural Pear ...

Korean jewelry box in exotic persimmon or kaki wood and brass. The box has 2 drawers and on top a flap that serves as a folding mirror.

Rectangular shape mahogany veneered casket made in first half of 19th century presumably in Europe. Cast glass vessels are intact at their original place. Candy sugar bowl along with...

English Papier Mâché Jewellery Sewing Cabinet Box Circa 1860 This charming and decorative papier mâché cabinet features two beautifully designed ...

A stunning antique Qing Dynasty Chinese export twin canister tea caddy / decorative table box. circa 1860 Hand-crafted in China for the European market when rare and exotic oriental...

Charming Campaign Box in Camphor with hidden drawers with details in brass and a mirror inside. From the 19th Century. Nice patina. Key is missing. Wear consistent with age and use

An antique English leather case from the 19th century, with GR crowned monogram, brass handles and petite ball feet. Created in England during the 19th century, this brown leather ca...

A 19th century mahogany English Regency tea caddy with silver markings of a family crest, griffon and ram on the top. The interior of this te...

French Victorian bronze dore fan shaped box with faux bamboo trim and filigree sides with green floral painted top

Visiting card case box in sterling silver designed by Frederick Manson. Beautiful antique presentation visiting card holder, created in the city of Birmingham England at the ateli...

19th century oak and metal bound silver chest, applied with iron side swing handles and corner brackets, opening to an arrangement of four compartmentalised removable trays. Dimensi...

Tebako box with three compartments in golden and nashi-ji lacquer, decorated with golden, red, and kirigane lacquer, golden persimmon tree leaves, among rocks. The compartments are of increasing size from the top. The decoration is in continuity. Persimmon has been cultivated in southern China for more than 2500 years and is believed to have been introduced to Japan in the 8th century. The veneer is a tree with very hard wood, similar to ebony. According to a legend, one specimen survived the atomic bombing of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, close to the epicenter. It is therefore in Japan a symbol of strength and longevity. It is also the national fruit of the country. It is eaten as a traditional dish during New Year's Day celebrations. Tebako literally means "portable box...

Austrian Biedermeier silver gilt casket, 1846. Bellied, lobed, and rectangular. Hinged cover same and concave with raised center and swing-mounted scroll bracket cast handle with flowers. Hardstone mounts including porphyry and lapis lazuli as well as cabochon jewels. On front two turquoise cabochon...

PERFUME BOX WITH LID French Napoleon III 19th Century in ebonised wood, tortoiseshell and gilded metal. Interior with three golden glass bottles. Defects of age Dim.: (box) 11 x 1...

Very fine. Early 19th century Napoleon tea caddy. Brass inlay. Crystal vessel (not original).

​Outstanding Large 19th Century Bronze & Porcelain Jewelry Casket Box Dimensions : 14" Tall X 16" Wide X 11" Deep This gorgeous Antique jewelry ...

A four-case lacquered inro by Koma Koryu circa 19th century late Edo period. The inro features a pair of Chinese mandarin duck resting under a bundle of blooming irises on the pond. ...

An exceptional, fine and impressive antique Victorian English sterling silver castle top vinaigrette depicting Windsor castle; an addition to our collectable box...

Special large handcrafted antique rich mahogany box having beautiful mother of pearl decoration and two crystal knobs on each side. Dividers are inside.

A fine antique pictorial enamel and underbelly-cut tortoiseshell singing bird box, Circa 1910, Going-barrel movement, Soft streaks of light throughout this fabulous case... When wound and start/stop slide moved to the right, the bird emerges through the pierced and tooled gilt grille, moving bone beak, wings and body from side-to-side to continuous synchronized birdsong. With the bird displaying...

English round burl walnut snuff box with beautiful grain possibly Yew wood. This is a nice looking snuff box that would be great for any collector.

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 antique box is from London made from papier-mâché The top is hand painted and inlaid with mother of pearl. It is finely painted and has an interior with defined Spaces for writ...

Circa 1820 late Georgian period inlaid tea caddy, English. Mahogany with satinwood & dyed sycamore inlaid shells - artfully scorched & shaded in the large shells for depth. Floating ...

Adorned with five painted panels depicting delicate floral motifs and classical scenes, this piece showcases the hallmark elegance and artistry of Sevres porcelain. Sevres porcelain...

Heading : Tunbridge ware jewellery cabinet with perspective cubework Date : c1840 Period : Victoria Origin :Tunbridge Decoration : Cover and double doors decorated with perspecti...

19th century French bronze & glass tantalus set with (4) gold decorated glass decanters with (14) cordials glasses in fitted bronze insert set...

This is a 19th century handmade Rosewood tea caddy. This tea caddy has his original glass disposable in the center with two compartments on either side. The tea caddy stands on four ...

An elegant and very collectible 19th century French gilt metal, champlevé enamel and banded agate pill or snuff box made c. 1880. The box has oval form with a frieze of colourful fl...

An exceptional, fine and impressive antique George III English sterling silver vinaigrette made by Samuel Pemberton; an addition to our silver boxes collection This antique Georgian vinaigrette...

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...

19th Century Japanese inro with 5 lacquered wooden compartments, 93 x 50 x 30 mm in size. Weight 59.2 g. Additional information: Material: Lacquered ...

Inro is an ancient traditional Japanese box used to carry and store small items such as tobacco, money, paintbrushes, and other objects. The...

Uniquely designed in the form of a gift box tied with ribbon, this engaging silver tea caddy was created by the prominent silversmith Frederick Elking...

This wonderful example of a 19th century tortoise shell sewing box on stand opens to original fabric lined interior of compartments with a central ...

Gilt bronze and onyx jewelry box. France, late 19th century. It has silk inside.

Hallmarked in Birmingham in 1844 by Nathaniel Mills, this fine quality, Victorian, Antique Sterling Silver Castle Top Card Case, features a high relief chased scene of The Scott...

This stunning antique Frisian nailed red copper bucket dates back to the early 19th century. It is full of original and unique details, making it a true eye-catcher. You can place it...

We are delighted to offer for sale this stunning fully restored heavily carved Victorian walnut sewing table with ornately inlaid Tunbrid...

A Japanese Nagasaki export lacquer box with mother-of-pearl depiction of the Amsterdam ‘Trippenhuis’ Edo-period, circa 1830 H. 12.5 x W. 24...

A French painted tôle box from the late 19th century, with wood grain patterns and goldenrod accents. Created in France during the last decade of the 19th century, this tôle box feat...

Included in this group: Rectangular inlaid box with hinged lid revealing silk and paper lining. The box with mosaic central cartouche, geometric banding. Dimensions: 3 1/4" W x 4 5/8...

19th century Chinese cloisonné enamel brass trinket box.

Late 1800s antique firewood box with artistic Brass Panels Tavern imagery Rectangular shape six sided with a slope. Preowned vintage original c...

A nice early French green leather glove box with brass ormolu on four decorative brass feet, with a beautiful pink silk interior. This is from a pr...

A George IV Vinaigrette, Johnh Bettridge, Birmingham, 1830. The cover displaying a shaped cast and applied border decorated with foliate motifs, scrolls and shells around an engine ...

This is an antique lady of the house utility box. An English, burr walnut and mother of pearl inlaid writing slope and sewing box, dating to the late Regen...

Lovely 19th century box with lovely mellow patina, brass "batwing" escutcheon on front, brass bail side handles, and hinges at rear. Teal painted interior.

Cylindrical tea caddy made of black basalt with silver mounting and figural nodus.

Exceptionally detailed 19th century carved bone gunpowder flask Italian, 19th Century Height 36cm, diameter 11cm This unconventional gunpowder flask, created in Italy in the 19th ce...

An exceptional, fine and impressive antique Indian silver tea caddy, an addition to our silver teaware collection. This exceptional antiqu...

Antique 835 Silver Tea Caddy - lidded Box Christoph Widmann Germany handmade Half moon & crown Weight: 229 grams The condition can be seen in the pictures.

1980's Decorative " Eye" box Cast aluminium France

Exquisite oval-shaped cut-crystal antique jewelry box. The crystal is chiseled into twisted patterns, and the mounts are of gilt bronze, which is decorated with small flowers, pearls...

Early 19Thc pantry box / cheese box with a handle in fine condition. This cheese box in great condition. This cheese container is from New England and is si...

Small 19th century Swedish painted pine metal bound dome top box circa 1870. Original painted dome top chest of small proportions.  Superb opportunity to own a decorative piece to s...

English Victorian small rectangular shaped white porcelain box with woven design, blue trim and fruit design top.  

English Regency Mahogany monumental wine cellarette with a gadrooned step back hinged lid, canted gadrooned exterior sides, interior locking mechanism, flanking figural dolphin feet...