Description:
JB499: A high quality figured burr walnut dressing box with brass rounded edges and inlays  of brass working  Bramah lock with key,  the interior still fitted with dressing accessories in hobnail cut glass and hallmarked (1865) silver by John Harris. The box has a sprung lower drawer fitted for jewelry  which has its own lock.  There is silk lined document wallet in the lid behind a framed mirror. covered with ruched velvet on the other side. There is a lift out tray having further divisions and lids and a further compartment beneath for jewelry.  1865.

Origin: UK

Circa: 1865

Size: 32.2cm wide by 25 cm by 19.5 cm: 12.7 inches wide by  9.8 inches by  7.7  inches.

Condition: Good overall; working locks and keys; see images and details. One of the small jars is a replacement.

The figure of the burr walnut is exceptional.

The brass edging is not only decorative but protects.

The box has two working locks with separate keys. One a Bramah key  is for the main lock the other the drawer.

The working lock is Made by Bramah. 

The  patented Brahma lock. 

To engage the key is pushed into the lock. The sprung  levers of the lock are brought to the right positions by grooves cut in the barrel of the key rather than the flag.  

see: http://hygra.com/locks/Bramah/ 

The lock plate is stamped with a crown and "patent" and  "S. Mordan and Co." London.

 The drawer has a separate embossed leather  lid. The drawer has to be taken completely out of the box  to open. The inside is lined with blue silk.

The Mirror in the lid is released by pressing a button  behind the top lock-plate. It can be reversed as here providing a ruched velvet pad.

 Some of the smaller jars are in a lift out tray. The central pad with the mother of pearl handled tools also lifts out.

There is a further compartment beneath the tray for jewelry.

 Detail of the chased decoration of one of the lids.

 Many have also been engraved with intertwined initials. I am not sure what letters! 

 The same intertwined initials in engraved brass are inlaid into the center of the top.

The Leopards head indicates that the silver was hall marked in London

The The date letter "k "is for London  1865 

  The "J H" is the silver mark of John Harris (registered Aug 1852) see: silvermakersmarks.co.uk/Makers/London-JE-JK.html 

The other marks are Victoria's head and , Lion passent.  

 Detail all the silver has the same hallmarks except for the small replacement jar whose lid is unmarked.

 The glass lead crystal is hand blown before being cut with facets.

The silver topped jars are matching except for the little jar at the front right of this photo.

 The Silver topped jars and bottles are of lead crystal and further enhanced with Hobnail  cut.   

 The mirror is original. The mirroring has deteriorated. The mirror is framed with coromandel inlaid with brass stringing. 

One of the small jars does not match and is a replacement.

 The hobnail cut crystal bottles have glass stoppers as well as the silver tops.

The box has a lower sprung drawer fitted for jewelry. The drawer is released by pressing the button in the back facing. The drawer also has a lock with working key.

 The drawer has a separate hinged embossed leather  lid. The drawer has to be taken completely out of the box  to open. 

The inside is lined with blue silk.

In the lid behind the mirror there is an embossed leather document wallet. The silk lining gives a sense of the quality of the entire build of this box.

A further quality detail is the brass accents inlaid into the ebony facings.

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