Fabulous & rare antique French early 1800s Napoleon I to Charles X era 10" tea caddy, cigar or tobacco chest, an exquisite box with ornate bronze appliqués, Empire style figural medallions, hand painted enamel plaques and wonderful visual & decorative appeal! Isn't this one gorgeous! Very unique style, a blend of aesthetic and Empire with the ornate bronze accenting throughout. The box appears to be veneered in brown leather, pressed to look like rough sawn lumber. The upright style seems to be most suitable to be used as a tea caddy, or perhaps cigar chest with the cigars held upright inside. The interior is a bit rough so we're not quite sure what it's original purpose would have been but, does that matter with the exterior craftsmanship :). An exquisite decorative box, nicely sized at 10" tall and impressive in every respect.
Very good condition, age and materials in mind. As with a piece of nearly 200 years of age, there are a few signs of that age. There is a bit of loss to the leather on the back and top corners, all visible in the images. There may be two bronze edge pieces missing from the bottom rear and there likely would have been a wood base panel in the bottom of the box (you can see that a wood panel would likely have been glued in the base). There probably were bronze corner accents on the lid itself, rounded tacks are in the corners there between the bronze strip frame on the enamel panel. It does have a working lock with key. See pictures for all measurements.
