Anglo-Indian Boxes

Mughal style pietra dura marble box - hand made - featuring an over-all floral and vine design with lapis lazuli, mother-of-pearl and black onyx inlay - signed on the base and the li...

VERY DECORATIVE VIZAGAPATAM BOX Vizagapatam, India, 19th Century. Rustic workmanship will only add to the decorative appeal of this Anglo-Indian footed domed casket in ebonized woo...

Inlaid table cabinet with six compartments and two handles. This is a beautifully decorated crafted box reflecting the craftsmanship and cultural influences of Goa during the colonia...

An Anglo Indian Rectangular Porcupine Quill & Bone Box, 20th Century Description: Constructed from wood, featuring naturally shed porcupine quills inlaid between decorative band...

Antique Anglo Indian Hindu treasure jewelry metal bronze box. 19th century Anglo Indian antique metal box handcrafted with hinged lid with a swing ...

Anglo-Indian Mother of Pearl Inlaid jewelry Box. 1940s Victorian Anglo Indian box in silver, bone and mother of pearl Inlaid. An elegant Anglo Indian bon...

Mounted with Silver From our Sewing Box collection, we are pleased to offer this Solid Coromandel Anglo Indian and Silver Sewing Box. The Sewing Box of...

Vintage Rajasthani Pietra Dura White Stone Inlay Taj Mahal India Style coaster plates. Rajasthani inlaid stone marble decorative set of 7 small roun...

Beautiful white marble jewelry box with floral inlay, made with different semi preciouses stones such as Malachite, Lapis Lazuli and Carnelian. It was made in India in the 1960's.

19th Century Anglo-Indian Faux Tortoiseshell, Carved Bone and Ebony Inlaid Jewelry Box with Elephant Motif An exceptional 19th-century Anglo-Indian jewelry...

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...

Antique Persian Khatam Micro Mosaic Inlaid Jewelry Box with Miniature Polo Scene, circa 1940s This exquisite Persian Khatam Kari trinket box is a rare example of masterful micro mosaic marquetry, handcrafted in the 1940s using the ancient Persian art of inlay. Featuring an intricately detailed geometric design and a miniature hand-painted equestrian scene on the lid, this museum-quality piece is a stunning representation of Indo-Persian and Moorish craftsmanship. Khatam Kari, or Persian marquetry, is a centuries-old decorative art that flourished during the Safavid dynasty. It involves the meticulous inlay of thousands of tiny pieces of wood and bone into intricate, repeating geometric patterns—each symbolic of harmony and cosmic order. The top of this box is adorned with a finely rendered painting of royal figures on horseback, possibly princes engaged in a ceremonial game of polo, echoing the refined court culture of the 19th-century Persian and Mughal aristocracy. The box’s micro mosaic surface is covered in richly detailed star and polygon motifs typical of Khatam and Sadeli mosaic traditions. These patterns require precise mathematical planning and exceptional artisanal skill, resulting in a surface that is as intellectually complex as it is visually stunning. Details: * Origin: Asia Indo-Persian * Date: Circa 1940s * Materials: Inlaid woods, camel bone, hand-painted miniature * Style: Islamic Art, Moorish, Anglo-Indian, Micro Mosaic * Dimensions: Height 1.5 in. x Width 6.5 in. x Depth 4.25 in. * Condition: antique condition with minor wear consistent with age These boxes were traditionally used to store writing instruments or jewelry, and today they serve as timeless collectors' pieces, suitable for display or thoughtful gifting. Comparable examples can be found in major Islamic art collections, including the Doris Duke Museum of Islamic Art. Keywords: Persian Khatam Box...

PRESENTING A GORGEOUS 19C Anglo Indian Highly Carved Sadeli Mosaic Sarcophagus Sewing Box. Made in Bombay, India circa 1860-80. Box made of sandalwood with highly carved teak wood reliefs and panels on all sides. Edged with bone and ebony veneers and glorious sadeli mosaic, made from tiny pieces of faux ivory, pewter, green semi-precious stone. The box is in a sarcophagus form with domed lid. The original brass carry handles are on the sides. The interior is in great condition and consists of a removeable mirror under the lid portion, with the original red velvet lining behind it. The base is removeable and contains a number of lidded compartments. 6 of the interior lids on the base, are each inlaid with sadeli mosaic banding. The rest are also carved and chased. The interior is fully complete with 7 lidded faux ivory/bone, thread canisters with sadeli domes and the original bone thimble. The box sits on 4 brass ball or bun feet with the original velvet lining on the base. Some minor repairs and losses, but this box is fully complete. This is ‘rare’ as many of these boxes have not survived in such condition! Included in the sale are 2 photos that were in the box (under the base tray). Interestingly, one of them is a view of downtown Nassau, New Providence (Bermuda) from the early 20C and stamped on the rear. What a ‘journey’ this piece has made! Made in India … travelled to Bermuda, probably via Britain … back to Ireland (where we bought it) …. then to Texas! 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! Of it’s type, this one, is one of the very higher quality one’s, than the norm! 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...

Asian decorative trinket lidded box in metal silvered hammered and etched with organic floral design. Anglo Raj style oval form betel box. Dimensio...

Impressive antique Anglo Indian lidded box handcrafted in porcupine quills and ebony decorated with bone dots. The interior has nine bone decorated lidded compartments in a removable...

Set of three Regency Anglo Indian rosewood boxes with brass mounts. These graduated boxes nest into each other. Handsome and useful additions...

Impressive antique Anglo Indian box crafted in mahogany, clad in tortoise shell, and ambitiously decorated with bone. The inside has a mirror and red felt lining.

A beautiful, rustic antique Indian merchant's cash box hand crafted out of teak and accented with brass corner brackets, handle and medallions. The key turns and the lid slides open ...

1920s Hand Painted East Indian Decorative Box. An antique Rajasthani Indian hand painted wood box, early 20th century. The box is handcrafted of wood and feature a hinged lid that can be opened and closed to access the contents inside. Hand painted colorful Indian box with lid depicting human figures and flowers. Style: Anglo Raj, Paint, Wood, Hand-Crafted Place of Origin: India. Anglo Raj Vintage Wooden Box Hand Painted Indian Chest Trinket 1920s. Large Trinket Box Folk Art Hand Painted Colorful Asian Jewellery Chest...

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...

Rare and remarkable Anglo Indian box turtle tea caddy, the well marked upper shell hollowed and intricately filled with a star inlaid panel, the base with a lidded box, all in exotic...

Vizagapatam box, India, 19th century. This highly decorative and unusual Anglo-Indian table box features rustic workmanship that adds to the character and charm of this unique Sout...

Charming petite antique Anglo Indian lidded box handcrafted in indigenous hardwoods clad in tortoise shell and decorated with elaborate lacy bone designs, featuring an etched and pai...

This seemingly simple wooden vase is a design object of infinite beauty and elegance that can be placed in either an antique or a modern or contemporary setting. They are Indian arte...

Antique Anglo-Indian Kashmir Hand-Carved Wood Jewelry Box, Velvet Lined, circa 1920s A beautifully handcrafted Anglo Raj Kashmir wood trinket ...

Vintage circa 1930s Fred Zimbalist Taj Mahal Music Box  Swiss Thorens Movement  Numbered  Handmade Figural Brass Box. A rare and highly sought-after vintage Fred Zimbalist Taj Mahal music box, featuring a Swiss Thorens movement and beautifully handcrafted in India. This iconic figural music box is prized by collectors for its exceptional artistry, substantial weight, and striking architectural form inspired by the Taj Mahal. Crafted between the 1920s and 1950s, each Zimbalist music box was individually handmade, ensuring that no two pieces are alike. This example is numbered (#29) and showcases all the hallmarks of Zimbalist’s finest work: chased and engraved metal, brass and bronze casting, and a lustrous nickel-silver plated finish. A superb piece for enthusiasts of vintage music boxes...

A beautifully handcrafted pietra dura round marble trinket box, showcasing the centuries-old decorative art form perfected in both Mughal India and Renaissance Florence. The lid feat...

Anglo Indian straw work box with diamond pattern and painted borders. This is a sweet small decorative box, very appealing design with rounded ends on a rectangular body. Unusual eye...

Fabulous Anglo-Indian decorative box inlaid. Made in Vizagapatam, situated on the south east coast of India, near Madras. Great decorative inlaid pen box or jewelry box. Inside dimen...

Decorative Mughal Raj Vizagapatam Carved Veneered Bone Jewelry Rectangular shape Box. Vintage Asian lidded box crafted with bone finely engraved and hand painted in black with geometric Moorish designs. Delightful Anglo Indian footed box crafted with an intricate patterned polished bone inlay mosaic over a wood frame. Handmade in Vizagapatam, India, mid 20th century. Elegant intricate pattern. A true work of Islamic artwork...

A set of two antique hand-painted nesting boxes, from the East Indies, showcasing remarkable 1920's folk art. They are distinguished by their beveled lids (trapezoidal in shape), bl...

Ivory and blue chevron decorative trinket rectangular lidded box inlaid with white bone and resin on wood. Large stylish Moorish trinket lidded box with bone and wood inlaid handcraf...

Antique Anglo-Indian Mughal Carved Sandalwood Taj Mahal Jewelry Box, circa 1870 An exquisite late 19th-century Anglo-Indian carved sandalwood jewelry box, dating to circa 1870, feat...

Antique Asian Silver Betel Nut Box in Foo Lion Form, Southeast Asia, 19th–20th Century A finely crafted antique South Asian silver betel nut box, ...

PRESENTING A VERY NICE 19C Anglo Indian Highly Carved Teak and Sandalwood Sarcophagus Sewing Box. Made in Bombay, India circa 1890-1900. The box case/body is made of sandalwood wit...

Hand-Carved Anglo-Indian Mughal Style Wooden Jewelry Box – Early 20th Century An elegant early 20th-century Anglo-Raj carved wooden box, finely handcrafted in India and richly decorated with continuous arabesque and floral relief carving throughout. The deeply detailed surface work reflects traditional Mughal-inspired craftsmanship, with scrolling foliage motifs executed in a cohesive decorative field across the lid and all sides. The hinged lid opens to a spacious interior lined in deep rust-red velvet, providing a rich contrast to the warm tone of the carved wood while offering a soft protective surface for jewelry, keepsakes, or collectibles. The shallow relief carving enhances the tactile quality of the piece, emphasizing the skill of its hand-executed workmanship. A refined example of Anglo-Indian decorative arts, this box functions beautifully as both a practical storage object and a statement collectible, suited for traditional, bohemian, or eclectic interiors. Origin: India Period: Early 20th Century Materials: Hand-carved wood, velvet lining Style: Anglo-Indian / Mughal Revival / Colonial Decorative Arts Condition: Good vintage condition with age-appropriate wear Keywords / Metadata: Anglo Indian box, Mughal carved box, Indian jewelry box, carved wooden trinket box, early 20th century Indian furniture, Anglo Raj decor, handmade wooden box, Islamic floral carving, Moorish style box, rustic carved box, vintage India box...

Anglo Indian carved mahogany cat with ebonized stripes and a curious expression, featuring a secret compartment on the bottom.

Antique Indian Mughal Revival Copper Lidded Box, Repoussé and Pierced Metalwork An elaborately decorated antique Indian copper lidded vessel, attributed to Northern India, possibly ...

Anglo Indian rectangular porcupine quill, bone and parquetry box. The box with a hinged lid that opens to reveal embossed red velvet lining and a decorated wood panel...

Impressive antique Anglo Indian lap top desk crafted in quills and ebony decorated with bone dots. The surprising interior has multiple components featuring a felt writing surface, n...

Anglo Indian hardwood campaign or dowry chest. This has brass straps, handles and large hinges on the interior. The lock has the original key. The chest is in good condition. It show...

Edwardian Silver Guilloché Enamel Box Birmingham 1909 A fine Edwardian silver circular box by Daniel George Collins, Birmingham 1909. The central blue engine-turned guilloché ena...

Beautiful handcrafted tinned copper decorative octagonal betel box with lid and brass latch. The metal is delicately and intricately hand-hammered and repousse with floral and geometric designs. This Vintage brass box...

PRESENTING A GORGEOUS 19C Anglo Indian Rosewood Caddy with Silver Mounts. Really nice and unusual, 19th Century Anglo-Indian Spice or Tea Caddy, from cir...

Antique iron bound merchants chest with hidden compartments. The chest is very heavy, it has a great deal of thick iron banding and brass and iron st...

This is a Fred Zimbalist Thorens silver music box shaped as an old phonograph with trumpet horn. All the silver panels that make the box and the hor...

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

Anglo-Indian penwork decorated veneered sandalwood glove box on turned ball feet the sides and top decorated with scrolling leaf borders and the top with a central leaf-framed cartou...

Fine Micro Mosaic Indo Persian Moorish Inlaid Trinket Jewelry Box with Miniature Polo Scene, circa 1940s Exceptional handcrafted Indo-Persian jewelry or pen box featuring intricate Sadeli micro mosaic marquetry with inlaid geometric designs and a stunning miniature hand-painted scene on the lid. The artwork depicts 19th-century royal princes in traditional Maharaja attire playing polo, reflecting Mughal and Islamic courtly elegance. Crafted using the traditional Khatam technique, the box is richly inlaid inside and out with fine slivers of wood, bone, and metal, showcasing exceptional craftsmanship from the Middle East or India, circa 1940s. * Dimensions: H 1.75 in. x W 6.5 in. x D 4 in. * Condition: great condition; minor wear consistent with age. A museum-quality piece comparable to those in the Doris Duke Islamic Art Collection. Perfect for collectors of Islamic art, Moorish marquetry, and antique micro mosaic. Keywords: Islamic Marquetry, Sadeli Mosaic, Khatam Box...

Impressive Anglo Indian box crafted in mahogany and clad in tortoise shell decorated with bone straps, carved and painted floral panels, and paw feet. The inside has a mirror and bon...

Exceptional antique Anglo Indian sewing box handcrafted with quills and decorated bone with a brass handle, lion heads and paw feet. The interior has pin cushions and compartments wi...

Hand tooled cast metal incense stick holder in a Snail Shaped form. Vintage cast brass incense burner holder. A censer, incense burner, perfume ...

Anglo Indian style hinged box ambitiously covered in a mother of pearl geometric mosaic and featuring a fixed cluster of amethyst stones on top. Stamped "redmile London".

An Indo- Portuguese brass-mounted hardwood and Indian Wood marquetry cabinet, Goa. Gorgeously made with hand-cut hardwood and the finest quality of othe...

This is an antique patinated bronze sculpture of a stylized form peacock. Used as a betel box or tobacco opium box. Produced using the traditional 'lost wax'...

Large Anglo Indian Moorish Islamic style micro mosaic inlaid jewelry box with lid. Intricate inlaid Anglo Persian box with floral and geometric Moorish Sadeli design in an hexagonal shape form with micro mosaic marquetry, very fine artwork. 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. Dimensions: H: 5 in : 12 in W x 12 in. D. Circa 1950s. Sadeli mosaic art is 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. The ancient art of Sadeli Mosaic is said to have been introduced from Shiraz in Persia via Sind to Bombay, a long time before Indian boxes appeared. The designs on early boxes 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 isn’t immediately apparent to the viewer. Will look great in a Moroccan decor...

Rare Indian coffee made of hand carved wood with metal frame. The door opens from the top and reveals the interior. Beautiful piece that could be used as a letter box or as a small jewellery cabinet...

Inspired vintage Anglo Indian hinged box crafted in mahogany and clad in a faux tortoise laminate.

Antique Anglo Indian pair of tea caddies with silvered metal tops having elephant handles over coconut bowls above carved ebony elephants with bone tusk...

Double height carved Indian box An unusual piece with 2 levels, the top of the box in the octagonal shape has an opening lid. The lower is recta...