Sandalwood Jewelry Boxes

PRESENTING A BEAUTIFUL 19th Century Anglo-Indian Vizagapatam Shell and Bone Trinket Box from circa 1880. Made in Vizagapatam, India. The box is cons...

PRESENTING A VERY NICE 19th century Anglo Indian Highly Carved Sandalwood and Sadeli Mosaic Box. Late 19th century, circa 1880, Anglo-Indian Box from the “Time of the Raj” made in...

PRESENTING A SUPERB AND EXCEPTIONAL EXAMPLE of a mid-19th century Anglo-Indian Sadeli Mosaic Trinket Box. This one is in BEAUTIFUL CONDITION for its age! From circa 1850-1860 and made in the Region of Bombay, India for the British market. The ‘sadeli mosaic’ on this box, is classically an early version, of this type of mosaic work and is ‘coarse’ to the touch. Because of this, most boxes with this type of mosaic, have not survived intact for 170 years, without major losses to the mosaic, from dusting, cleaning, etc. This box only has only had ONE very minor loss of mosaic to the top, which has been repaired and is hardly noticeable, otherwise it is in GREAT ORIGINAL CONDITION! The faux ivory banding is even original to the piece. The ‘Sadeli Mosaic’ on this box is ‘striking’, with gorgeous geometric patterns of silver, pewter, bone, stained bone (green) and ebony. The box case, itself, is made of sandalwood, but it is completely covered in sadeli mosaic and faux ivory and ebony veneer. The lid is banded with a different sadeli mosaic pattern. From circa 1850-60 and made in the Region of Bombay, India for the British market. The interior is lined in its original red velvet lining. The box sits on it’s original 4 brass bulbous feet and the red velvet is also on the base underside. The ‘QUALITY’ of this box is evident from the EXCEPTIONAL Sadeli mosaic work, but also the lock which is an early British ‘Lever’ Lock is a sign of real quality. This is ONE for the SERIOUS COLLECTOR! SADELI MOSAIC: “Anglo Indian boxes were made in India for the English residents from the early part of the 18th century. They were brought back or sent back to England usually by the people who had commissioned them. From the beginning of the nineteenth century they were imported more commercially, although not in any significant numbers until the middle decades. They were very highly valued, especially the early ones, to the extent that the designs were copied on late 19th and early 20th century tins. The ancient art of Sadeli Mosaic is said to have been introduced from Shiraz in Persia via Sind to Bombay, a long time before the Anglo Indian boxes were made. It was a technique, which required a high degree of skill and patience. It was executed very lavishly, in that the frequent cuts wasted a great amount of the precious materials used. The workmanship was however more than commensurable to the value of the materials. Ivory, silver, pewter (or other metals), wood and horn were cut into faceted rods which were bound together to form geometric patterns. When the glue has set, the rods were sliced in transverse sections. This gave the maker a number of angled circular pieces in the original pattern. Several variations of patterns could be achieved by combining the materials in different ways. The ivory was sometimes dyed green to give an extra color. The mosaic pieces in a combination of patterns, often separated by ivory, ebony, horn or silver stringing were used to veneer sandalwood boxes. In the early boxes, which date from the turn of the 18th to the 19th century, there are large panels of mosaic covering tops and sides of boxes. It took incredible skill to cover such large areas without any shakes or wavering of the pattern. The corners and joins on these boxes are impeccably matched. The makers (reputed to be Persian) of Sadeli mosaic made in the first two decades of the 19th century displayed a total understanding of the qualities of the different materials they used. They combined substances, which can expand and contract according to atmospheric conditions with others, which are hard and unyielding. The result was a sharp definition of the lines and patterns, which made up the whole design. On the early boxes the designs look deceptively simple. The fact is, they emerged from a culture, which had mastered geometry and understood how to generate a pattern from a set number of points. The patterns are so harmoniously combined that their incredible complexity is not immediately apparent. The earliest Sadeli boxes...

PRESENTING A LOVELY 19C Anglo Indian Vizagapatam T/Shell and Bone Trinket Box. Made in Vizagapatam, India in circa 1860-1880. Sandalwood box covered in gloriously patinated blonde shell...

Damascus inlaid rectangular box with hinged lid and covered with matched geometric hexagonal pattern with diapered border. The inlays are composed of sandalwood and ebony with abalon...

Very fine Indian 19th century box, the exterior in well figured ebony and having scalloped sides, the lid with exotic wood and bone inlay, the interior with two removable tiers, the ...

A very striking late 1800s Anglo-Ceylonese coromandel work, sewing, or companion box with exceptional bone, wood, and brass inlay and decoration. Case of handsomely figured and variegated coromandel (calamander) veneer with serpentine sides. Hinged lid unlocks via its original key, and opens to reveal a gorgeously done inlaid bone foliate motif featuring hand-painted decoration in black and red lac. Central medallion encircled by thin borders of inlaid specimen wood and zig-zagging brass design. Within rest two lift-out trays with lidded compartments perfectly suited for tidily stowing jewelry...

Presenting an absolutely gorgeous 19th century Anglo-Indian octagonal shell and bone jewelry box. Made in Colonial India (the Time of the Raj), circa...

Anglo Indian porcupine quill box.

One of a kind, exquisite middle Eastern Moorish Syrian inlay jewelry box. This box is intricately inlaid with Moorish motif designs which have been uniquely inlaid with bone, mother ...

Stunning early 19th century example of a Vizagapatam box. 19th century Anglo Indian Vizagapatam miniature shell and faux ivory ring box. From cir...

Stunning early to mid-19th century example of an Anglo-Indian Vizagapatam miniature shell and bone ring box of exceptional quality. From circa 1820-1840. Made in Vizagapatam, I...