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Grand Tour Boxes

GRAND TOUR STYLE

For 18th-century young British noblemen, no education was complete without a year on the Grand Tour. Although it had no official route, the Grand Tour focused on places foundational to European art, literature and architecture, including sites in France, Germany, Switzerland and, most importantly, Italy. It was an opportunity not just to witness the roots of the classics they had studied but also to take some of it home. Grand Tour furniture was among the souvenirs.

Grand Tour furniture ranged from marble architectural models replicating ancient wonders to actual antiquities often taken illicitly, leaving a legacy of looting still being unraveled today. Other items reflected the artistic richness of the Renaissance cities and other destinations. In Italy, this included scagliola tables and pedestals mimicking marble as well as tabletops and wall panels embedded with pietra dura hard stone mosaics.

Furniture was also developed to display Grand Tour purchases in the owner’s home, presenting them as a cultivated and well-traveled person. Mahogany collector’s cabinets held objects like intaglio moldings of coins and seals while others had specialized drawers that framed pietra dura panels.

Many objects were specifically produced for Grand Tour collectors. Often accompanied by retinues on journeys lasting months or years, the elite travelers, the wealthiest of whom extended their trips to Egypt and the Holy Land, required artful personal mementos befitting the experience. For example, Grand Tour micromosaicssmall artworks, most not more than two inches wide — arose from the entrepreneurial impulses of artisans who had trained in the Vatican’s workshops.

Grand Tour journeys would help inform a range of decorative styles such as neoclassical, Rococo and Adam style. (Architect and designer Robert Adam toured Italy and France for five years.) The Grand Tour flourished at a time of economic prosperity and political stability, but the French Revolution in 1789 brought it to an end. Yet as the tradition faded in popularity in England, the rising wealth of the United States led to an increase in tourism across the Atlantic and a similar passion for collecting to show one’s worldliness.

Find a collection of Grand Tour decorative objects, wall decorations, lighting and other furniture on 1stDibs.

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Style: Grand Tour
19th C. Italian Grand Tour Micro-Mosaic "Doves of Pliny" Box After Antiquity
By Vatican Mosaic Studio
Located in Atlanta, GA
Italian, likely Circa 1880. This beautiful box has an exceptional Grand Tour Micro-mosaic plaque depicting the Capitoline Doves or Doves of Pliny after the Roman antiquity. Also by ...
Category

Late 19th Century Italian Antique Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Slate, Bronze

A mid 19th century Italian grand tour Sorrento marquetry box circa 1860
Located in Central England, GB
A very fine Italian marquetry box dating to circa 1860 and made in the Sorrento region of Italy where local craftsmen were renowned for making ...
Category

Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Wood

Italian Grand Tour 800 Silver, Enameled Malachite & Painted Roman Scene Box
Located in Atlanta, GA
Italian Grand Tour 800 Silver, Enameled Malachite & Painted Roman Scene Box. This fantastic antique box is rectangular in form heavily decorated with hand chased foliate scroll work...
Category

20th Century Italian Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Sterling Silver, Enamel

Early 19th Century French Gold Box with Enamel and Miniature Portrait
Located in Dallas, TX
PRESENTING A STUNNING Early 19C French Gold Box with Enamel and Miniature Portrait. Box made with brass but has been plated with 18ct Gold with beau...
Category

Early 19th Century French Antique Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Gold, Enamel

1960s Italian Grand Tour Style Leather & Burlwood Column Motif Pen Stand/Box
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
1960s Italian Grand Tour Style Leather & Burlwood Column Motif Pen Stand/Box Italy, 1960s This Italian Grand Tour style pen stand/box from the 1960s is a unique and beautifully craf...
Category

20th Century Italian Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Leather, Burl

Falcon's Eye Semi Precious Stone Box with Hinged Lid
Located in New York, NY
Falcon's Eye semi precious stone box with hinged lid. Falcon's eye, AKA Blue Tiger's Eye, famed for its chatoyancy, is reminiscent of the 'eye...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Indian Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Stone, Brass

Blue Indian Lapis Lazuli Lidded Box
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Stunning blue lapis lidded box with hinge. The interior is wood. A lovely decorative piece for any table or desk, ready to hold everything from keys to love letters! ... or the candy...
Category

20th Century Indian Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Lapis Lazuli

Labradorite Semi Precious Stone Box with Hinged Lid
Located in New York, NY
Labradorite semiprecious stone box with hinged lid. Labradorite displays an iridescent optical effect (or schiller) known as labradorescence. La...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Indian Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Stone, Brass

Large Handcrafted Rhodochrosite Hinged Box
Located in New York, NY
Large handcrafted rhodochrosite hinged box, 10" x 5.80" x 2.30" H. Rhodochrosite is a manganese carbonate mineral that ranges in color from light pink to bright red and is found in A...
Category

2010s Indian Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Stone

Églomisé Verdigris Marble Table Box
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Églomisé Verdigris marble table box, with bevelled edges and 9" x 6" x 2" velvet interior.
Category

Late 20th Century Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Velvet, Glass

Fossil Stone Box with Hinged Lid
Located in New York, NY
Fossil stone box with hinged lid. Fossil stone is a material formed, changed, or altered by a process called fossilization. This process replaces or...
Category

2010s Indian Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Stone

Large Square Bookmatched Malachite Box with Removable Lid Made in India
Located in New York, NY
The malachite for this box was sourced from the Congo, where the finest quality of this mineral is currently found. The malachite for this box was sent to India where the stone was c...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Indian Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Malachite, Marble

19th Century Italian Grand Tour Steel Lidded Sarcophagus Box
Located in Stamford, CT
Rare 19th century Italian Grand Tour steel sarcophagus form box, circa 1880. Nice form, handsome desk-top accessory, great addition to any box collection. It is unusual to find this ...
Category

Late 19th Century Italian Antique Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Steel

Grand Tour Bronze Sarcophagus Form Box
Located in Stamford, CT
Unusual 19th century Italian Grand Tour bronze box in the form of a sarcophagus, circa 1880. Nice form, handsome desk-top accessory, great addition to any box collection. 5.5 inches...
Category

Late 19th Century Italian Antique Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Bronze

19th Century Italian Ruby Glass Box with Miniature of Basilica
Located in Dallas, TX
Lovely little 19th century ring jar or pill box made of a thick wine colored ruby glass. It has a miniature of a Basilica on top, gilt metal mounts with beautiful filigree on the si...
Category

Early 19th Century Vatican Antique Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Metal

Antique Chased Silver Snuff Box Set with Fine Italian Micromosaic Plaque
Located in London, GB
The small rectangular silver snuff box, chased with foliage decorations and featuring a hinged back, is set with a detailed micromosaic plaque on top. The plaque depicts a rural land...
Category

Late 19th Century Italian Antique Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Stone, Silver

Related Items
Early 19th Century Persian Wooden Box
Located in London, GB
Early 19th century Persian wooden box A large Persian wooden box and marquetry called "Khatam Kari" with mosaic decoration of stars and geometric patterns, Middle East origin, early-19th century. This box is in overall good condition considering its age and use, it still has its original silk insert fabric firmly attached which is rare. Khatam kari is a fine and meticulous marquetry work, the oldest examples of which date back to the Safavid era: khatam was then so appreciated by the court that certain princes learned the technique as well as music, painting, or calligraphy. The “Khatam-kari” is therefore the “work of inlays”. This technique consists of making patterns, most often star shapes, by inlaying fine wooden sticks (ebony, Teak, jujube, orange tree, rose), brass (for the golden parts), and camel bone (white parts). The decorated objects are legion: boxes, chess or backgammon games, frames, pipes, desks, or even musical instruments. The khatam can also be associated with the famous Persian miniatures, thus realizing works of art. Coming from techniques imported from China and magnified by Persian know-how, this craft has existed for over 700 years. Size in inches: H 5” x W 15” x D 9.5” Age: 1830 - 1850 Origin: Persia Material: Mixed material Completely solid in structure and form, aged naturally across all the surfaces. This box does not have a key and therefore cannot be locked, it has had old repairs in blue ink as shown. With one replacement leg...
Category

Early 19th Century Unknown Antique Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Wood

Antique French 19th Century Jewelry Box Flap Door Miniature Wood Cabinet
Located in Firenze, IT
This beautiful French late 19th century chest of drawers in black ebonized wood and cherrywood reproduces with perfect proportions in scale a miniature cabinet with three drawers and an upper flap door that opens to reveal a white marble top and an oval mirror inside, nice hand carved band on top with geometrical pattern and molded base. The black lacquered wood creates a wonderful contrast with the beautiful honey-colored wood grain. Despite its convenient size, extremely detailed, this chest of drawers is equipped with a white Carrara marble top and a small mirror that make it even more special and useful. The model of a piece of furniture was originally created by cabinet makers to show their skills to the customer and to present the sample of the furniture which would then have been produced on a larger scale. These commode miniatures, along with other specimens, were displayed in the craftsman's workshop to serve as examples to aid the potential client in making a selection. Some also think that these little chests were used as doll and puppets...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Carrara Marble, Metal

Tronador Square Blue Onyx Stone Box
Located in Buenos Aires, AR
The shape of the inactive Tronador volcano reminded us of the pyramid shaped idea of our boxes that make up this collection. With a rectangular or square base, the box is a reflectio...
Category

2010s Argentine Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Stone, Onyx

Tronador Square Blue Onyx Stone Box
Tronador Square Blue Onyx Stone Box
H 3.94 in W 6.3 in D 6.3 in
French Carved Snuff Box, Mid-19th Century
Located in Spencertown, NY
The elaborately carved snuff box with a scene of two mermaids on the cover and deeply carved shell on the reverse.
Category

Mid-19th Century French Antique Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Boxwood

Malachite Box 4"
Located in Somis, CA
A beautiful 1.2 lb malachite box. The box is made of gemstone malachite with spectacular natural swirls and patterns. A remarkable objet d'art of quality, luxury and sophistication. ...
Category

2010s Unknown Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Malachite

Malachite Box 4"
Malachite Box 4"
H 2 in W 4 in D 3 in
TRONADOR Rectangular Brown Onyx Stone Box
Located in Buenos Aires, AR
The shape of the inactive Tronador volcano reminded us of the pyramid shaped idea of our boxes that make up this collection. With a rectangular or square base, the box is a reflectio...
Category

2010s Argentine Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Stone, Onyx

TRONADOR Rectangular Brown Onyx Stone Box
TRONADOR Rectangular Brown Onyx Stone Box
H 1.97 in W 9.85 in D 3.15 in
Art Deco Birds-eye Maple Box with hinged lid, circa 1925
Located in Lincoln, Lincolnshire
This is a good quality Art Deco period lidded Box, of Birds-Eye Maple veneer, probably French in origin and dating to circa 1925. The box has a rectangular shape with a fitted hinge...
Category

Early 20th Century French Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Birdseye Maple

Malachite Box
Located in Richmond, VA
Rare, malachite stone box with grey marble inlay. Perfect for jewelry keeping or other small treasures. Made in Italy, ca. 1970s.
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Malachite

Malachite Box
Malachite Box
H 1.5 in W 6.25 in D 4 in
Large Moroccan Wedding Silvered Jewelry Box Inlaid with Semi-Precious Stones
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Large vintage Moroccan wedding jewelry box inlaid with semi-precious colored stones and covered with silvered hammered metal filigree with Moorish design. Large Moroccan jewelry...
Category

Mid-20th Century Moroccan Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Multi-gemstone

Micro Mosaic Moorish Inlaid Jewelry Pen Box
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Micro Mosaic Persian Islamic Moorish Inlaid Jewelry Pen Box. 1950s Middle Eastern Moorish Inlaid Jewelry Trinket Mosaic Box. Handcrafted mar...
Category

Mid-20th Century Lebanese Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Fruitwood

Indo-Persian Khatam Micro Mosaic Jewelry Box
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Handcrafted Khatam wooden box with very delicate micro mosaic marquetry from the ancient Persian technique of inlaying from arrangements of so many delicate pieces of wood, precious wood, and delicate miniatures paintings. This beautiful Middle Eastern Persian style box is covered inside and out with fine Moorish micro mosaic marquetry. Indo Persian Moorish style micro mosaic inlaid jewelry box with lid. Intricate inlaid Asian Indian box with floral and geometric Islamic Moorish Sadeli design in a square shape form with inlay 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...
Category

Mid-20th Century Asian Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Wood

Italian 1960s Brown Alabaster Boxes
Located in Tarrytown, NY
1960s brown alabaster round boxes with carved handle from Italy. Brown is the only color available.
Category

1960s Vintage Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Alabaster

Previously Available Items
Italian Grand Tour Green Specimen Marble Rectangular Box
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Italian Grand Tour Green Specimen Marble Rectangular Box Italy, 20th Century Of rectangular form made of beautiful variegated green marble with inset shell remnants, the lift top w...
Category

20th Century Italian Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Marble

Pair of Alabaster Urns / Lidded Boxes, Hand Carved, 1920s, Italy
Located in Wien, AT
Pair of perfectly hand-cut lidded boxes out of white alabaster, made in the 1920s, in Italy. These objects have a round basic shape, but they have a cuff all around that is designed...
Category

1920s Italian Vintage Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Alabaster

Pietre Dure and Gilt Bronze Box
Located in New Orleans, LA
Each panel of this 19th-century Italian box is meticulously crafted using a combination of traditional pietre dure techniques. The panels are formed from p...
Category

Late 19th Century Italian Antique Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Stone, Marble, Bronze

Pietre Dure and Gilt Bronze Box
Pietre Dure and Gilt Bronze Box
H 6 in W 11 in D 7.5 in
Diminutive Grand Tour Bronze Architectural Model of the Arch de Triumph
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Diminutive Grand Tour Bronze Architectural Model of the Arch de Triumph Of small scale, intricately cast and modeled, with lift top, on a oval black ...
Category

19th Century French Antique Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Belgian Black Marble, Bronze

Antique Grand Tour Georgian Papier Mache Horn Snuff Boxes Lady's Etui Case
Located in Dublin, Ireland
Stunning collection of Georgian Antique Grand Tour items, to include a Lady’s banded Etu case with sterling silver mount and dome top hinged lid and two Snuff miniature boxes of trad...
Category

19th Century English Antique Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Sterling Silver

Grand Tour Bohemian Crystal Gilt Bronze Cranberry Glass Scent Bottle Casket Box
Located in Dublin, Ireland
An exceptionally fine quality & quite rare bohemian ruby red crystal glass scent bottle casket made during the last half of the nineteenth century. ...
Category

19th Century French Antique Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Crystal, Ormolu

Large and Impressive 19th Century Italian Specimen Marble Box
Located in Dallas, TX
A fine and rare large 19th century Italian specimen marble presentation box.
Category

Late 19th Century Italian Antique Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Marble

Italian Florentine Marble Pietra Paesina Natural Mineral Specimen Box
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Italian Florentine marble Pietra Paesina natural stone box with onyx interior This exquisitely made natural mineral specimen box features Florentine ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Onyx

20th Century Italian Multi-Stone Mosaic Mineral Specimen Box with Onyx Interior
Located in Point Richmond, CA
20th Century Italian Multi-Stone Mosaic Mineral Specimen Box with Onyx Interior This exquisitely made natural mineral specimen box features sixty four .75-inch sliced stone...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Agate, Carnelian, Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, Alabaster

Mid 20th Century Italian Mosaic Mineral Specimen Box with Onyx Interior
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Mid 20th Century Italian Mosaic Mineral Specimen Box with Onyx Interior This exquisitely made specimen box features fifty six 1.125-inch sliced stone squ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Agate, Carnelian, Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, Alabaster

Grand Tour Porphyry, Yellow and White Marble Paperweight, Italian, late 19th C.
Located in Spencertown, NY
The oval shaped paperweight with carved alabaster profile of Roman Emperor, framed with imperial porphyry and yellow “marmo giallo” on white marble base.
Category

Late 18th Century Antique Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Alabaster, Marble, Porphyry

Italian Grand Tour Black Marble Box
Located in Stamford, CT
Handsome 'Nero Portoro' hand carved marble box fitting with brass rim and hinges. This desk top box of black marble with white and yellow veins is a wonderful decorative addition to ...
Category

Early 20th Century Italian Grand Tour Boxes

Materials

Marble

Italian Grand Tour Black Marble Box
Italian Grand Tour Black Marble Box
H 2.25 in W 6.25 in D 4.25 in

Grand Tour boxes for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Grand Tour boxes for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage boxes created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include decorative objects, more furniture and collectibles, serveware, ceramics, silver and glass and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, stone and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Grand Tour boxes made in a specific country, there are Europe, Italy, and Asia pieces for sale on 1stDibs. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for boxes differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $475 and tops out at $9,291 while the average work can sell for $1,320.

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