{"title":"Boxes","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"19th-century-neoclassical-imported-hanau-silver-miniature-table-dresser-ring-trinket-box","title":"Neoclassical Hanau silver miniature table box","description":"\u003ch3\u003eAbout this piece\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eThis small silver box takes the form of a table in miniature, standing on four hoof feet with a hinged top that lifts to reveal a gilt interior underneath. The lid is embossed with scrolling foliage framing a classical garden scene of women at leisure, done in the Neoclassical taste that German silversmiths in Hanau were particularly known for reproducing throughout the nineteenth century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eHanau built its reputation on close imitation of earlier French and English silver styles, and pieces made there were regularly exported and stamped with British import marks once they reached London — this one carries a full London hallmark for 1899, along with the mark of the importer, John George Smith, who brought it into the country. It's a reminder that \"Victorian silver\" often had a longer, more international route to the dressing table than the hallmark alone suggests.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCondition notes\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExcellent antique condition. Edge of lid is bent.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rita's Bazaar","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54035562692941,"sku":"3044","price":270.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0975\/4191\/4957\/files\/Photoroom_011_20240223_144826_8cbc0b98-889b-49f4-99b5-720dd1f3b034.webp?v=1780945613"},{"product_id":"victorian-mahogany-sarcophagus-shape-2-section-small-tea-caddy","title":"Victorian mahogany sarcophagus tea caddy, c. 1860's","description":"\u003ch3\u003eAbout this piece\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis small mahogany tea caddy takes the sarcophagus form that had already been fashionable for decades by the time it was made in England around the 1860's, a shape borrowed loosely from Egyptian Revival taste and applied to just about every box-like object the Victorians could get their hands on. The domed lid carries a gadrooned border along the top, and the whole thing sits up on four squat bun feet, giving a fairly small object more visual weight than its size would suggest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInside, two separate sections kept different grades of tea apart — practical, since tea was expensive enough in the earlier part of the century to be locked away, though by the 1860's that habit had more to do with tradition than actual necessity. It's a good example of how a purely functional object could still be treated as something worth a bit of ceremony.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eCondition notes\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVery good antique condition. Wear inside and to liner appropriate to age and use; no internal lids; losses to corners; lid doesn't sit flush; some cracking to the exterior veneer.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rita's Bazaar","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54035563675981,"sku":"3173","price":105.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0975\/4191\/4957\/files\/29-IMG_1737-Photoroom.webp?v=1780945621"},{"product_id":"antique-black-forest-gothic-revival-wood-keepsake-box-with-floral-carving-germany-c-1890s","title":"Black Forest Gothic Revival wood keepsake box, c. 1890's","description":"\u003ch3\u003eAbout this piece\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eThis wood keepsake box was carved in Germany's Black Forest region around the 1890's, shaped in the casket form typical of the period, with a domed hinged lid that gives it a bit more presence than a flat-topped box would manage. The entire surface has been worked into a rippled, wavy texture, so that even the plain background never quite sits still — and against that, bold foliate and floral carving climbs across the lid and sides with real depth to it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eBlack Forest carving developed into its own recognizable school in the nineteenth century, prized for exactly this kind of naturalistic, high-relief work — carvers who'd trained on bears and stags turned the same skill toward smaller domestic pieces like this one. It's the sort of object that rewards actually running a hand over it, which is more than you can say for most Victorian keepsake boxes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eBoxes like this were made to hold jewellery, letters, and small mementoes, and this one still does that job well — equally suited to a desk, a dressing table, or simply on display where the carving can be appreciated up close.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCondition notes\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\"\u003eVery good antique condition. Some nicks and light scuffing in keeping with age and gentle use, with the carving remaining crisp and the box presenting beautifully.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rita's Bazaar","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54035574030669,"sku":"3694","price":120.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0975\/4191\/4957\/files\/s-l1600_2822_29-Photoroom_e79e77cf-aab6-4eab-8855-047c28d587ef.webp?v=1780945689"},{"product_id":"antique-french-art-nouveau-walnut-burlwood-stamp-box-with-pierced-vermeil-silver-lid-c-1890s","title":"French Art Nouveau walnut burlwood stamp box, c. 1890's","description":"\u003ch3\u003eAbout this piece\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eA stamp box seems like a modest thing to dress up in vermeil silver, and yet here we are. The lid carries a pierced silver cover, gilded and worked into flowing floral and foliate scrollwork in the Art Nouveau manner, set over a base of burr walnut whose swirling grain holds its own against the metalwork on top. It likely came from a workshop in Paris or Nancy, the two centers most associated with this kind of small-scale luxury silverwork during the Belle Époque, when even the accessories on a writing desk were expected to carry some ornament.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eBoxes like this one did double duty as vide-poches or snuff boxes depending on the household, since Belle Époque desk accessories were rarely as single-purpose as their names suggested. It's a small, decorative piece for anyone drawn to French silver of the period, or who simply likes the look of gilt metalwork against a good, dark grain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCondition notes\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\"\u003eExcellent antique condition. Minor surface crazing to the wood on the lid, appropriate to age and characteristic of antique burr walnut. Light wear to the vermeil gilding, adding to the authentic antique charm. No hallmarks, which is typical for small luxury boxes of this period.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rita's Bazaar","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54035578257741,"sku":"A4326","price":285.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0975\/4191\/4957\/files\/antique-french-art-nouveau-walnut-burlwood-box-vermeil-silver-c1890s_32bda73a-83f4-4057-a3d5-c872988beea4.webp?v=1780945724"},{"product_id":"antique-indian-silver-fluted-oval-pill-snuff-box-with-domed-floral-lid","title":"Indian silver oval pill box, domed floral lid","description":"\u003ch3\u003eAbout this piece\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis oval silver box has cut corners and a domed lid that hinges open with more resistance than its size suggests, as if it takes its job seriously. The cover is hand engraved with a scrolling floral pattern rooted in Indian folk art traditions, the sort of motif passed down through a silversmith's family rather than invented fresh for a single commission.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBoxes like this one belong to the long tradition of Indian silverwork produced during the British Raj, when local craftsmen adapted their own decorative vocabulary to small Western forms — snuff boxes, pill boxes, card cases — meant for both domestic use and export. The ornament stayed distinctly Indian even as the shape bent toward European taste, which is part of what makes these pieces worth a second look rather than a passing glance. Whatever you keep in it now almost certainly wasn't what the original owner had in mind, and that's half the fun.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe piece has been XRF tested and confirmed as 900 silver.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eCondition notes\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGood antique condition. Soldering to hinges; deep surface groove at the back; tiny ding to the front of the lid.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rita's Bazaar","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54035579601229,"sku":"2480","price":50.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0975\/4191\/4957\/files\/1_a94e59f5-cc03-4042-8da5-9a73d9ba151f.jpg?v=1780945737"},{"product_id":"art-deco-satinwood-keepsake-card-box-with-cherry-leather-lining","title":"Art Deco satinwood box with cherry leather lining","description":"\u003ch3\u003eAbout this piece\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis rectangular satinwood box has a flat hinged lid and a warmth to the wood that's held up well for a hundred years — the sort of patina that only comes from being handled rather than shut in a cabinet. Inside, the fitted lining runs cherry red leather against a tan leather base, a pairing that would have felt sharp and modern against the pale satinwood when the box was new.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSatinwood came into fashion during the Art Deco period partly because its pale, close grain suited the era's taste for clean lines and light surfaces, a departure from the darker mahogany and walnut favoured a generation earlier. English makers of the 1920's turned it into everything from cigarette cases to jewellery boxes, and this piece sits comfortably in that tradition — small enough for a dressing table, sturdy enough for daily use.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt works equally well now as a card box, a vide-poche, or simply somewhere to keep small jewellery, which is more flexibility than most decorative boxes offer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eCondition notes\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExcellent antique condition. Tiny nicks to corners; some light wear to leather; small chips on the back.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rita's Bazaar","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54035585728845,"sku":"3000","price":165.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0975\/4191\/4957\/files\/153-20240130_222935-Photoroom_9bedafd2-4878-46fe-9448-0aa6b8a390d2.webp?v=1780945806"},{"product_id":"art-deco-walnut-table-cigarette-holder-card-box-vide-poche","title":"Art Deco walnut table cigarette holder \/ card box \/ vide poche","description":"\u003ch3\u003eAbout this piece\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn Art Deco walnut table box, rectangular, with sides that curve slightly domed and a flat, removable cover. Walnut was a favourite wood of the Deco period for exactly this kind of piece — the grain does most of the decorative work on its own, which suited a design movement that increasingly trusted materials to speak for themselves rather than relying on applied ornament.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis one's grain is particularly good, richly patterned and warmed by a patina that only comes with age and handling. It was made to hold cigarettes, but the form suits almost anything worth keeping close at hand — playing cards, keys, the odds and ends that collect on a side table by the end of the day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a vide poche or a card box, it does a lot with very little embellishment — proof that restraint was its own kind of luxury in this period.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCondition notes\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExcellent antique condition. Some scratches and tiny nicks appropriate to age and use.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rita's Bazaar","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54035588481357,"sku":"2996","price":70.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0975\/4191\/4957\/files\/76-20240130_193256-Photoroom.jpg?v=1780945847"},{"product_id":"coalport-fine-bone-china-large-box-hand-painted-with-gilt-acorns-and-oak-leaves","title":"Large Coalport bone china box, oak leaf gilt","description":"\u003ch3\u003eAbout this piece\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA Coalport bone china box, round and baluster in form, with a fluted body — the kind of shape that catches light differently at every angle before you even get to the decoration. The white china is hand-painted in gilt with acorns and oak leaves, a motif that's been a favourite in English decorative china for generations, likely for the obvious reason: oak was practically shorthand for strength and Englishness long before anyone put it on a teacup.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCoalport built its reputation on exactly this kind of fine bone china, and the gilding here does real work rather than just decorating — laid on with the kind of precision that holds up under close inspection, not just from across a room.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt suits a dressing table as easily as a mantelpiece, holding jewellery or trinkets while looking entirely capable of holding nothing at all and still earning its place.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCondition notes\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGood vintage condition. Some wear to gilt, mostly to the internal rim; repair to the inner rim of the lid (not visible from outside).\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rita's Bazaar","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54035596706125,"sku":"1904","price":50.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0975\/4191\/4957\/files\/12-20220909_192721-PhotoRoom_594a38f8-dbf7-41ce-937e-516c1dc99324.webp?v=1780945930"},{"product_id":"dressing-table-brazilian-wood-inlaid-tray-marquetry-jewellery-box-and-caithness-perfume-atomiser","title":"Art Deco Brazilian wood marquetry dressing table set","description":"\u003ch3\u003eAbout this piece\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA dressing table set of three: a Victorian tray, an Art Deco jewellery box, and a Caithness glass atomiser — the sort of trio that looks like it was assembled by someone with excellent taste and no interest in matching sets for matching's sake.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe tray is Brazilian, made around 1890, in cherry wood with a central inlaid panel of burr walnut. Flip it over and there's still a label reading \"Paranaense, São Paulo\" — the kind of small detail that turns an object into a story rather than just a shape. The jewellery box is English and Art Deco, made around the 1920s: mahogany, rounded in a baluster form, with a lid given over entirely to marquetry — satinwood, fruitwoods, boxwood, and ebony, all coaxed into one design by someone who clearly wasn't in a hurry.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThen there's the atomiser, which refuses to blend in quietly. Hand-blown by Caithness Glass in Scotland around the 1960s, its body swirls blue and navy under brass fittings. Caithness set up shop in the far north of Scotland specifically to bring skilled glassmaking work to a remote corner of the country, and by the 1960s that ambition had paid off — the glass had a reputation of its own, well beyond souvenir status.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePut together, the three don't so much match as get along famously — each one striking enough to hold a room by itself, better still sharing a dressing table.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTray made in Brazil, c. 1890's (38 x 23 x 3 cm); box made in England, c. 1920's (5 x 15 cm); perfume bottle made by Caithness Glass, Scotland, c. 1960's (11 x 7 cm)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCondition notes\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGreat overall condition. Some light wear to brass fitting of bottle; light crazing to the box lid; several large cracks and small losses to inlay of the tray.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rita's Bazaar","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54035598049613,"sku":"2032","price":125.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0975\/4191\/4957\/files\/https_3A_2F_2Fi.etsystatic.com_2F29579960_2Fr_2Fil_2Fd48676_2F4611320739_2Fil_fullxfull.4611320739_aamn_228557a8-0536-4e01-a849-d1bee15cf2d1.webp?v=1780945939"},{"product_id":"antique-anglo-indian-carved-sandalwood-cigarette-holder-dispensing-box","title":"Anglo-Indian carved sandalwood cigarette box, Kashmir","description":"\u003ch3\u003eAbout this piece\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn Anglo-Indian sandalwood cigarette box, carved and hinged, made in Kashmir in the late 19th century — the kind of dense, all-over carving that took real patience to produce, and that made Kashmiri work recognisable at a glance across the export trade. Srinagar workshops were known for exactly this style: leaf and floral patterns carved so closely together that barely any plain wood shows through.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOpen it up and the construction turns out to be as clever as the decoration — three separate hinged compartments, built to hold 48 cigarettes between them, so the box functions properly rather than just looking the part. The exterior carries the same attention outward, with flora and fauna carved across every visible surface.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSandalwood carving became one of Kashmir's most recognised export crafts under British colonial trade, with pieces like this made specifically for buyers back in Europe.\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCondition notes\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExcellent antique condition. Small gaps between border corners, some wear to wood.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rita's Bazaar","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54035598508365,"sku":"3181","price":235.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0975\/4191\/4957\/files\/1-IMG_1880-Photoroom_dd6eaa37-12a1-4ecb-93b5-5f8d51be30b5.jpg?v=1780945943"},{"product_id":"french-art-deco-grey-blue-agate-table-cigarette-holder-card-box-vide-poche","title":"French Art Deco grey agate cigarette box \/ vide poche","description":"\u003ch3\u003eAbout this piece\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA French Art Deco table box in agate, rectangular, with a bevelled lid that lifts clean away — the stone itself grey, shot through with veins of blue and yellow, so it reads differently depending on which corner catches your eye. Agate's move from jewellery box to tabletop was one of the quieter design shifts of the Deco period: a material prized for centuries in small hardstone work, suddenly scaled up so its colour and pattern could be read at a glance rather than squinted at.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe pearly translucence shifts with the light, which is rather the point of choosing agate over anything more predictable — no two boxes, or even two sides of this one, quite match. It was cut to hold cigarettes, though these days it's just as likely to end up guarding keys, loose change, or whatever else accumulates in a pocket by evening. Set it on a side table and let it do the job vide-poches have always done — collecting the day's clutter with rather more style than a saucer manages.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCondition notes\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGreat vintage condition. Few small chips, mostly along one outer corner.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rita's Bazaar","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54035605782861,"sku":"2998","price":430.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0975\/4191\/4957\/files\/119-20240130_222143-Photoroom_59446d15-b09c-4609-bea8-f040a32dd997.webp?v=1780946024"},{"product_id":"george-iv-vinaigrette-in-sterling-silver-gilt-with-floral-engraving-and-vacant-cartouche-john-thropp-1822","title":"George IV silver gilt vinaigrette, John Thropp, 1822","description":"\u003ch3\u003eAbout this piece\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\"\u003eA sterling silver vinaigrette, made by John Thropp and fully hallmarked for Birmingham, 1822 — small enough to sit in a palm, with a plain cartouche left blank for a monogram that was never added. The case is engraved with floral and foliate scrollwork, the kind of restrained decoration that marked good Neoclassical taste without tipping into excess.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eVinaigrettes were a practical necessity dressed up as jewellery. Georgian streets, crowded rooms, and questionable drainage meant unpleasant smells were a constant hazard, and a vinaigrette — carried on a chatelaine or tucked into a pocket or reticule — held a vinegar-soaked sponge behind a pierced grille, ready to be lifted to the nose whenever the moment called for it. This one's interior grille is pierced in a diamond lattice and finished in bright gilt, a deliberate contrast against the cool silver case outside.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJohn Thropp worked in Birmingham during a period when the city had become the centre of English small silverware production, turning out vinaigrettes, card cases, and other pocket-sized objects in enormous numbers — though the quality of engraving here suggests this one wasn't made to be anonymous stock.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor collectors of Georgian silver or objets de vertu, it's a small object that rewards close attention rather than a passing glance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCondition notes\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\"\u003eVery good antique condition. The plain side has a shallow indent and a small ding. The lid does not sit fully flush. There are tiny dings to the engraved side (not visible under the design). The pin securing the grille needs to be replaced. Displays beautifully with bright vermeil gilding and crisp engraved detailing.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rita's Bazaar","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54035610206541,"sku":"3303","price":215.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0975\/4191\/4957\/files\/20-20240310_124511-Photoroom_931e4259-0775-4dc8-86e1-73a287bfc034.webp?v=1780946079"},{"product_id":"large-vintage-sterling-silver-keepsake-trinket-toilet-box-round-body-on-hoof-feet","title":"Vintage sterling silver trinket box, hoof feet","description":"\u003ch3 style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eAbout this piece\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eA sterling silver trinket box, circular, raised on three hoof feet, with a domed hinged lid. Boxes like this belonged to a dressing table set — silver toilet boxes were part of the ritual furniture of a well-appointed Victorian or Edwardian bedroom, holding hairpins, powder, or small jewellery within easy reach of the mirror.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe hoof feet are a small but telling detail — a decorative convention borrowed from furniture design, appearing on silverware throughout the 19th century as makers looked to established forms rather than reinventing the wheel every time. Lift the lid and the interior is lined in green velvet, soft enough to actually protect whatever's kept inside rather than just look the part.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eCondition notes\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eGreat vintage condition.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rita's Bazaar","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54035666567501,"sku":"2362","price":380.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0975\/4191\/4957\/files\/s-l1600_2836_29_18d5d041-47dd-4bba-ac7a-8c60737b31c4.webp?v=1780946193"},{"product_id":"late-victorian-mahogany-apothecary-box-medicine-chest-with-bottles","title":"Victorian mahogany apothecary box with medicine bottles","description":"\u003ch3 style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eAbout this piece\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eA late Victorian apothecary box, mahogany, square, with a hinged flat top. Chests like this were fixtures of well-run Victorian households and doctors' surgeries alike, built to keep the era's tinctures, powders, and treatments organised and close at hand — remedies that would look distinctly alarming on a modern bathroom shelf.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEight of the original bottles survive, several in stained glass. Coloured glass wasn't decorative flourish; it protected light-sensitive contents, though it does make for a handsome row along the shelf. The mahogany has darkened with age into something richer than any polish could manage.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEqually at home as a display piece or genuine storage, it carries a slice of 19th-century medicine along with it — a period when apothecary and alchemist weren't always easy to tell apart.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eCondition notes\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;\" class=\"\"\u003eGood antique condition. Losses to veneer at the lower front corner; marks to the lid; visible gaping to front panel; cracks to base; hairline cracks to lid sides; some general scratches to the exterior; wear to bottles.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rita's Bazaar","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54035667386701,"sku":"2651","price":230.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0975\/4191\/4957\/files\/1-IMG_1271-PhotoRoom_facbe963-2096-4bdd-b069-a8dcc8c8589b.webp?v=1780946201"},{"product_id":"large-victorian-mahogany-work-box-jewellery-chest-with-rhombus-design-to-lid","title":"Victorian mahogany jewellery box with rhombus inlay","description":"\u003ch3\u003eAbout this piece\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA Victorian work box, mahogany, rectangular, with a flat hinged lid — the sort of thing that looks restrained until you actually open it. Boxes like this were parlour fixtures in well-off Victorian households, kept out on display rather than tucked away, and the quality of the inlay was as much a signal of status as the sewing kit inside ever was.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis one's inlay does plenty of talking: boxwood stringing along the edges, an ebony rhombus set into the lid centre, and even the key escutcheon carries a quatrefoil design, as if no surface was allowed to go undecorated. The mahogany has aged into a warm, rich colour, with grain that's especially good across the lid.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBuilt for needles and thread, it now makes just as much sense holding jewellery — decorative enough to sit out on a dresser and mean it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCondition notes\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGood antique condition. Wear, scratches and minor losses to base and veneer appropriate to age and use.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rita's Bazaar","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54035682263373,"sku":"3628","price":115.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0975\/4191\/4957\/files\/1-IMG_1891-Photoroom.jpg?v=1780946370"},{"product_id":"storage-box-converted-from-victorian-tooled-leather-photo-album-with-brass-clasp","title":"Victorian tooled leather photo album storage box, brass clasp","description":"\u003ch3\u003eAbout this piece\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA small photo album converted into a storage box — hinges, clasp and tooled leather exterior all original to its first life. It began as a proper Victorian showcase for cartes de visite and cabinet cards, the small photographic portraits families collected and displayed before anyone had an album app to do the job instead; somewhere along the way, its sturdiness outlasted its original purpose, and it became a box.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe exterior still carries its original engraving, brass rivets down the spine, and an ornate brass clasp doing a fair impression of a strongbox latch. Open it, though, and the tone shifts entirely: the interior is lined with high-relief paper, hand-painted with florals and foliage, detail that was never meant to be seen by anyone outside the family circle.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShut, it's handsome. Open, it's a small surprise — and either way, it's exactly what a desk always needs more of: somewhere discreet to put things.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCondition notes\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGood antique condition. Scuffing and wear to leather appropriate to age and use; some cracks to wood.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rita's Bazaar","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54035838697805,"sku":"3692","price":75.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0975\/4191\/4957\/files\/136-IMG_0179-Photoroom_d257c0cf-89c1-46bc-bd9d-3028668db303.jpg?v=1780946674"},{"product_id":"victorian-mahogany-writing-slope-secret-drawers-working-key","title":"Victorian mahogany writing slope, secret drawers, working key","description":"\u003ch3\u003eAbout this piece\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eThis large mahogany writing slope was made in England, banded throughout in brass in the campaign style — corner mounts, side straps, a vacant cartouche waiting for a monogram that apparently never arrived, and a matching escutcheon around the lock. A century and a half of handling has given the mahogany a colour and patina that no amount of polish could fake.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eCampaign furniture was built for people who travelled with their belongings rather than left them behind, and writing slopes like this one were designed to survive a sea voyage while still looking presentable on arrival. Inside, the fitted interior holds a green leather writing surface with a gilt-tooled border, compartments for pens and stationery, two original glass inkwells with brass lids, and — the sort of detail that makes a piece like this worth the extra look — three drawers hidden beneath the writing surface, opened with the original working key.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eSlopes of this scale, still complete with their original fittings and hardware, aren't easy to come by anymore. This one works equally well as a functioning writing desk or as a serious piece of furniture in its own right, on a desk, in a study, or in a library.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCondition notes\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eGood antique condition overall, with attractive colour and patina. There are age-related surface scratches, marks and wear to the mahogany, with some veneer losses and old repairs visible to the sides and edges. The brass mounts show wear, tarnish, small dents and some missing pins. The green leather writing surface has wear, scuffs, scratches, lifting and losses, particularly around the tabs and gilt border. The fitted interior shows wear and staining from use, and the drawer fronts show old surface losses. The glass inkwells and working key are present.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rita's Bazaar","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54320790896973,"sku":"4801","price":395.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0975\/4191\/4957\/files\/1-IMG_1961.jpg?v=1784309488"},{"product_id":"victorian-mahogany-writing-slope-brass-inlay-secret-drawers","title":"Victorian mahogany writing slope, brass inlay, secret drawers","description":"\u003ch3\u003eAbout this piece\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eThis mahogany writing slope carries engraved brass inlay across its surface in a scrolling foliate pattern, decoration clearly meant to be admired closed on a sideboard as much as open on a desk — this was a piece that wanted attention whether or not anyone was actually writing letters. The contrast between the dark mahogany and the brass has held up remarkably well, which is more than can be said for most inlay this fine after 150 years of being dusted by well-meaning housekeepers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eLift the lid and the interior holds its original green leather writing surface, bordered in gilt tooling, with fitted sections for pens and paper still doing their job. The glass inkwell and removable pen tray are original to the piece, and a hidden release opens onto a series of concealed drawers — the sort of thing the original owner probably used for love letters or unpaid bills, and which still catches people off guard today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003ePieces like this were built to double as travel desks and decorative objects, and this one hasn't forgotten either job. It suits a study, a library, or a desk where it can actually go back to doing what it was made for.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCondition notes\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eDisplays very well and remains a highly decorative piece. There is a split visible along the rear edge, age-related wear and craquelure to the original green leather writing surface, minor losses and wear to some areas of the brass inlay, and knocks to several corners and edges. The interior contains historic ink staining within some of the fitted compartments, consistent with over a century of use. The original glass inkwell and fitted interior remain present, and the secret drawer mechanism remains operational.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rita's Bazaar","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54320807805261,"sku":"4802","price":385.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0975\/4191\/4957\/files\/24-IMG_1985.jpg?v=1784310204"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0975\/4191\/4957\/collections\/c3.jpg?v=1780946446","url":"https:\/\/ritasbazaar.co.uk\/collections\/boxes.oembed","provider":"Rita’s Bazaar","version":"1.0","type":"link"}