Fine antique French Napoleon III or Victorian era pocket watch, portrait, medallion or jewelry casket, an elegant little box with richly burled veneers, rounded kingwood edging and original blue silk or satin interior! A place for everything, and everything gloriously in its place - and no excess is too much; that seems to have been the rule of the day. And the day was 1840-70s Napoleon III era, France, the birthplace and time for this superb likely pocket watch box, casket. Entirely made in fine old box wood, then veneered in kingwood in a diamond shaped grain pattern and trimmed out with a small brass lid edging! The interior has what appears to be the original navy blue moire silk lining top & bottom but no fitting to actually cradle a pocket watch (and no signs that there ever was). A fine example of the era, aesthetic, and immense allure these old pieces represent. Wildly popular in France and abroad, these glorious old cabinetry pieces proliferated in Napoleon III era France, and we reap the benefit of their popularity and appeal still today in those that survive. One of several fabulous old pocket watch caskets that we're adding today, just in from France so, be sure to browse some while you're with us. Thanks!
While on the subject of fine antique boxes, by the way, I MUST mention to you a fabulous newly published reference book by our friend and customer, Genevieve Cummins of Australia. Over the past several years, Genevieve has been working on a masterpiece of a book, which we've just recently received copies of. It's SUPERB! We're pleased to see our own shop noted in many of the pages, and to revisit so many exceptional antique boxes we've had over the years. Some of you who buy antique boxes from us might well see your own in there, as we did share our images often with Genevieve. Be sure to order it. The title is: "ANTIQUE BOXES, Inside and Out". Hot off the presses, it's got 429 delicious pages of boxes.
Very good condition. A small veneer chip on the bottom right side edge of the front and some thin age or drying splits to the rounded kingwood lid edging (all visible in the images). The interior fabric is a bit aged but intact and the push-button clasp works just fine. See pictures for measurements.
