Description: Early Victorian rosewood fitted dressing box of fine quality  by  Promoli & Hausburg  of Liverpool,  with engraved and fretted silver topped bottles (hallmarked London 1842-3) having a drawer for jewelry.

The box is beautifully constructed in highly figured rosewood having solid rounded rosewood edgings and inset handles.

The ruched and plain velvet and cream silk as well as the gold embossed leather are all original.
The silver is of a thickness which allows for the fretted decoration as well as engraving.

The box is fitted with a (later circa 1894 ) high security Chubb lock. See below for further details.

Origin: United Kingdom.

Circa: 1842

Materials: Rosewood, cut crystal with silver, 

Size: 31.7cm wide by 22.8cm by 17cm:  12.5 inches wide by  9 inches by  6.7 inches.

Condition: Good overall

The is beautifully constructed in highly figured rosewood having solid rounded rosewood edgings and inset handles.

 The jewelry drawer has  specific fittings for  rings and pocket watch

 The leather covered lift out tray is edged with  a finely  embossed leafy pattern in gold. 

 The bottles have star motif cut in the base.

The silver is of a thickness which allows for the fretted decoration as well as deep engraving.

The box has a Chubb lock with the serial # 1267700. This indicates that the lock was made 1882 - 1898 Glengall Road, London  (serial #899501 to 1375300).

Chubb locks are rightly considered one of the most secure.  It would have been a natural upgrade for the lock of a box containing valuable traveling accessories. 

The name of Chubb is famous in the lock world for the invention of the detector lock and for the production of high quality lever locks of outstanding security during a period of 140 years. The detector lock,  was patented in 1818 by Jeremiah Chubb of Portsmouth, England, who gained the reward offered by the Government for a lock which could not be opened by any but its own key. 

 

It is recorded that, after the appearance of this detector lock, a convict on board one of the prison ships at Portsmouth Dockyard, who was by profession a lockmaker, and had been employed in London in making and repairing locks, asserted that he had picked with ease some of the best locks, and that he could pick Chubb's lock with equal facility. 

One of these was given to the convict together with all the tools which he stated to be necessary, as well as blank keys fitted to the drill pin of the lock and a lock made on exactly the same principle, so that he might make himself master of the construction. Promises of a reward of £100 from Mr Chubb, and a free pardon by the Government were made to him in the event of his success. After trying for two or three months to pick the lock, during which time he repeated overlifted the detector, which was as often undetected or readjusted for his subsequent attempts, he gave up, saying that 

Chubb's were the most secure locks he had ever met with, and that it was impossible for any man to pick or to open them with false instruments. Improvements in the lock were subsequently made under various patents by Jeremiah Chubb and his brother Charles.

See: www.chubblocks.co.uk/historyoflocks.html 

 The key is a replacement using a modern Chubb key-blank.
The lock is fully working.

 

The document wallet is stamped Promoli & Hausburg  of Liverpool 

Hausburg is described on surviving trade medallions as

F.L Hausburg 
JEWELLERS
WATCHMAKERS
MANUFACTURERS
OF DESKS
DRESSING CASES
LAMPS
CHANDELIERS & O
 

On some medalions the name is given as PROMOLI & HAUSBURG

Hausburg was an important manufacturer of quality boxes. 

See: http://www.hygra.com/wb/wbhausburg.htm 
A very fine Victorian writing box inlaid with metal and mother of pearl and having calligraphy tools

 Behind the ruched velvet there is a document wallet.

 The sides have inset brass handles.

The figure of the rosewood is dramatic with striations of light and dark figure.