ANTIQUE BOXES
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Antique Boxes in English Society
1760 -1900
by ANTIGONE
Dressing Boxes
Dressing Boxes
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A  Rosewood Dressing Box with Mother of Pearl inlay and solid Sterling Silver circa 1840.
A   quality  early Victorian Rosewood Dressing box. 
For further information on the background see The Online Box Book.

It features solid silver  hallmarked silver toped bottles, a removable  jewelry  drawer and a lift out  mirror.

The box has a shellac/"French polish" finish and is overall in very good original condition. 

English circa 1840.
The box is  12 inches wide 9 inches deep and 6.25 inches tall (when closed).

The box has a working lock and key

 

The box is in  figured Rosewood. This was one of the  highly prized of the imported cabinet makers woods in the Regency/Early Victorian period.

The decorative inlay, here the escutcheon is mother of pearl.

As well as the silver toped bottles and glass containers there is a centrally placed lift out  fitted tray which has mother of pearl handled implements.



 
The silver has a pierced and engraved design of stylized flora. 


The glass containers are all  ground; some as the bottle on the top left has fluted cuts.

 

 

 

 

The Silver is of high quality and all hallmarked London 1840/41

 

To the very left is the "maker's" mark.

The "T.D" probably is the mark of Thos. Dexter.

 The next punch is the "Queen's head". 


The next mark "Lion Passant"  denotes that this is silver of sterling standard. (925)


 The date letter "E" is next, and finally the "Leopard's head for London.

 

This is the entry  for London 1840/41 in English Goldsmiths and Their Marks by Sir Charles J. Jackson

 

 

A catch reveals a document pocket and a mirror which retains its original glass and mercurial silvering.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is a real sensation of looking into the past with an old mirror which is no longer able to show ones obvious self!

 

The side drawer is  fitted for jewelry. 

The inside of the tray is fitted with leather and lined with silk.

 

 



 

 

 

The lock plate is stamped: "VR" :   Victoria Regina.
For the historical context of this writing box read the relevant part of Antigone's Online Antique Box Book. If you click here you will go there.

We are preparing a highly illustrated book on Antique Boxes and Tea caddies for publication next year by Schiffer Books, USA. This box has been specially photographed for inclusion.

  © 2000 Antigone Clarke and Joseph O'Kelly