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Antique Regency Boulle Tortoiseshell Tea Chest

About the Item

Boulle Style Front From our Tea Caddy collection, we are thrilled to offer this Regency Tortoiseshell Tea Chest. The Tea Chest of sarcophagus shape with a gently tapering body and a domed lid with a concave panel surmounted by a silvered ball finial. The Tea Chest veneered in Tortoiseshell raised upon four silvered lion claw feet with a beautiful boulle style front inlaid with scrolling metalwork consisting of brass and pewter. Upon opening the Tea Chest the interior is lined in green velvet and faced in brass with two removable Tea Caddies with Tortoiseshell hinged lids and a central glass sugar bowl. The Tea Chest dates to the early 19th century during the short-lived Regency era (1811-1820) and the reign of Prince George circa 1820. The Tea Chest comes complete with working lock and tasselled key. Tortoiseshell describes a type of decorative material made from the shells of certain species of sea turtles. The shells of these turtles are composed of a hard, glossy substance called keratin, which can be cut and shaped into a variety of decorative items. Tortoiseshell has been used for centuries to make a range of decorative objects, including combs, brush handles, and other small items. It is also sometimes used to make tea caddies, as it is strong, durable, and can be polished to a high shine. The term “tortoiseshell” is used to describe these decorative items, even though they are made from the shells of sea turtles because the term has been used historically to refer to this material. Regency is an era of British history between 1811 and 1820. The Regency era was initiated by King George III first suffered a debilitating illness in the late 1780s. He relapsed into his mental illness in 1810 and by the Regency Act in 1811 his eldest son George, Prince of Wales, was appointed prince regent to discharge royal functions. When George III died in 1820, the Prince Regent succeeded him as George IV. Boulle work is a type of rich marquetry or inlay originally perfected by renowned French cabinetmaker André-Charles Boulle. It involves veneering objects or furniture with tortoiseshell and brass in elaborate designs often incorporating arabesques. It gives the objects an extremely attractive and unique appearance with the red tortoiseshell elegantly complimenting the gold-coloured brass inlay.

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