Iron Decorative Boxes

A fine Korean iron box that was traditionally used to store tobacco leaves dated to the late Joseon Dynasty circa 19th century. The box is made from iron and has a heavy weight, although the wears along the edges of the lid and base exposes a bronze metal color underneath, indicating the iron metal may contains a high level of copper. The surface was beautifully decorated with elaborate silver inlay that covers the entire surface except the base. The extraordinary workmanship depicts a pair of deer within the circled square (shape of heaven and earth) and a lined background on the long sides and a crane with spread wings on the shorter sides. Both animals were associated with longevity. Their eyes were highlighted with copper inlay, adding a lively touch to the animation. The lid is centered with a Chinese character "Xi" (Paired-Hui in Korean), which means double happiness. (In Chinese culture, it is often used in a wedding ceremony). The large symbol was set on geometrical background of tightly scrolling diamond pattern surrounded by stylized Ruyi mushroom heads, another floral longevity symbol. Archaic fret cloud band borders the entire perimeters of the lid and the container. Tobacco was introduced to Korean in the first half of the 17th century and gradually gained popularity. When the tobacco was started being smoked in shredded form instead of rolled leaves, there rose the production of the smoking accessories, with some in fine quality as luxury items for the elite. The accoutrement such as this box is a fine example made in late Joseon dynasty, using extensive silver inlay, a technique called "jjoeum-ipsa", in which the silver wires were hammered into the scorched iron surface to create the elaborate design. Similar boxes with variation of shape and motifs are in the collection of several major museums. Compare the box with item Gu 754 in the National Museum of Korea; item 22.78 in MET NYC and M.240:1, 2-1926 in V& A Museum in London. The most closely related example we found is item C232 in the collection of the Museum of East Asian Art...

Beautiful handmade oak silver chest. It was made to hold valuables such as silver coins, jewels or maps. This was the precursor to the modern day safe. It is due to its age beautiful...

Impressive wrought iron tabletop safe with engraved decoration and original patina. This type of safe was commonly used in the 16th and 17th centuries to hold valuables, alms, or doc...

An antique Java Indonesia teak burl document box with pieces metal corner mounts, brass studs, wood trim, side handles and a shield form escutcheon plate with a later fitted key. The...

Early 18th century Italian carved and dovetailed walnut alms box, circa 1725 Large dovetails and old handwrought nails give this small scale box a hea...

Antique Bronze Trinket Box Casket Copenhagen Denmark Battle of Estonia by Iron Art. Item features scenes depicting the Danish King Daldemar's divine...

Keep your jewelry or important documents locked up in this small antique safe from Northern France. Crafted, circa 1880, the 52 pound cast safe has a chic two-tone black and silver paint finish. The heavy...

A late Georgian pitch pine crate that would off originally been used for transporting a dog on a carriage. In wonderful original condition, with its original green painted finish tha...

Beautiful, high-quality late Biedermeier casket box from southern Germany, circa 1840. Mahogany and (probably walnut) burl wood veneer on oak and maple. Numerous inlays in maple and...

Rare and very beautiful Swedish travel box with stunning patina and hand forged iron details. Working lock and key ( bronze key from the 19th century). Sweden, circa 1750-1800. Weath...

Spanish wooden chest with original iron fittings.

Leather trunk Spanish, 17th century Boiled Leather, wood and iron Measures: 22 x 53 x 32 cm. Provenance : - collection Metz-Noblat, Château de Clevant, France Rectangular trunk of the form and size of a small suitcase with wrought iron hinges and lock-plate. Wood, covered with leather, cut and embossed with every surface of the thick cow hide covered in interlace, zoomorphic features. The construction method is boiled leather, often referred to by its French translation cuir-bouilli: a process used to change flexible, vegetable-tanned leather into rigid, moulded objects. For shaping of the vegetable-tanned leather, heat and moisture were used, as indicated by the term boiled leather. No written medieval sources describing the production of decorated cuir bouilli objects survive, so knowledge of the process relies on the important studies of the Scottish leather historian John William Waterer. A large range of methods, materials and techniques could be used in various combinations. The vegetable-tanned leather, made supple with moisture and heat, was stuffed, shaped and nailed to the rigid wooden coffer support. The stuffing material was probably modeled beeswax or stearin wax. To shape the leather, to create its topography, « Cushions » were made by lacing a thread through an awl hole and attaching the flexible leather and stuffing to the rigid wooden support on the bottom. Then the decoration was done: lines were incised through the upper layer of the leather (epidermis) with different thicknesses of knives or needles. Contours were created with deep v-shaped cuts, decoration with thin incision and final details with a needle point. For the incision and pouncing stage, the leather was probably kept heated and moistened for suppleness. Once dry, the leather would be hard and rigid. the saturated leather is worked over a form, possibly even damp sand, with the pattern shaped using bone or wooden tools. Compare to metal, leather was lighter and it offered protection from cuts and punctures. Cuir bouilli objects were produced by specialist leather workers and needed skillful craftsmanship. The surface is filled with roundels shaped foliages enclosing animals, lions and peacocks. The foliate arabesques creating a vegetal connection tweet the animals create the impression of a lush verdant space . The vegetal pattern here employed in combination with geometrical pattern came from the pre-islamic artistic traditions of the Byzantine and Sasanian empires. An aspect of Islamic geometry Is the basic symmetrical repetition and mirroring of the shapes that create a sense of harmony. The decoration of this truck is inspired by the islamic « arabesque » a form of vegetal ornament composed of spirals, intertwining plants and abstract curvilinear motifs. An arabesque character is given to the birds of the decorations through extreme stylisation. This arabesque maintained the classical tradition of median symmetry, freedom in Detail and heterogeneity of ornament. The presence of the peacocks is a paradisiacal allusion: in popular Islamic literature they were among the original inhabitants of the garden of Paradise expelled with Adam and Eve. Peacock as a decorative motif may have originated in the West, despite their eastern provenance. There was an ancient belief that the flesh and feathers of peacock do not decay. This led to the peacock becoming a christian symbol for Christ’s resurrection. Renowned for their decorative wall hangings, seventeenth-century Spanish leatherworkers also produced utilitarian objects, such as this trunk. A similar trunk is on display at the Metropolitan museum of art ( 09.158.1). Related literature : Davies L. 2006. Cuir bouilli. Conservation of leather and related materials, 94-102, Oxford: elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann Grabar, Oleg. The Mediation of Ornament. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1992 Gabriela Germana Roquez, "El mueble en el Peru en el siglo XVIII...

This unique Late 19th Century Storage Box was handcrafted from old growth walnut and hand forged iron in the late 1800's. The piece features iron bound edges, two side handles, one f...

The item on sale is an iron chest or casket suitable for arts and crafts or as a decorative object. It might have been made in Germany, England or Scottland. The box has been hand cr...

Wrought iron box with secret 18th century Riveted wrought iron box. One of the rivets moves upwards and makes an internal mechanism move in order to open. The mechanism is incomplete...

Exceptional Indo-Persian iron casket intricately decorated using the Koftgari technique—fine gold wires hammered into the iron surface. Adorned with delica...

Art Deco Carved Iron Box An Art Deco style iron box, an object that stands out for its refined aesthetics and practical functionality. The piece has a classic circular shape, with a ...

A Red-Lacquered “Armada” Wrought-Iron Money Chest with Elaborate Lock, 17th Century A striking and well-preserved example of a 17th-century “Armada” money chest, crafted in heavy wr...

19th century most rare and unusual original painted miniature bible box with original painted surface and gilding. This early gem has original iron hi...

Magnificent and rare Late 18th Century Dutch Colonial decorative box. Striking Dutch design from the 1790s. Made out of Slavonian solid oak with original patinated iron handles and l...

A rare and magnificent antique Tuareg peoples mixed metal mounted wooden chest / coffer / monumental table box. Most impressive size, hand-crafted in ...

Beautiful, unadorned Biedermeier casket box in amazing walnut veneer from Austria, circa 1840. Very nicely grained walnut veneer on solid maple wood. In the lid is a mirror glass inl...

Bring a touch of nostalgia into your interior with this beautiful, original metal coffee tin by J.C. Dorlas. The bright red tin with gold lettering and a beautiful weathered patina e...

Antique coffee tin by H. Smith of Groningen, bearing the title of Purveyor to the Royal Household. The original red color with gold-yellow lettering...

The exterior surface decorated with striking geometric panels of contrasting light & dark fruitwood veneers with ebonized mouldings, the slant top opening on later iron hinges to a plain interior housing a small hinged compartment for writing implements...

A rare and character-filled Spanish Colonial dome-top trunk, late 19th century, clad in original hair-on cowhide with geometric patterns formed from decorative metal studs. The rich,...

18th-century Dutch Walnut and Iron Polychrome Domed Table Box  Netherlands, 18th century or older A 18th-century Dutch walnut and iron polychrome domed table box, likely retaining i...

For your consideration. a fabulously aged antique wood box with handles. Box has patinated metal trim pieces & forged iron nails. No mak...

An asian iron and wood coopered bucket, 19th century. 12 ½ inches iwde by 9 ¼ inches tall

French steel box from the 1930s. Green lacquered case with golden craquelé pattern. The cash register has a classic handle and a key to lock. Painted green in the interior and a shee...

A vintage Metal mountable mailbox with key turn to open and close the box. The flap keeps mail safe and dry. There are removable rear bars that can be added for news paper, periodi...

19th century Swedish folk art wooden box from Piteå, Norbotten Northern Sweden The wooden box has untouched original color. The box is stable in construction. Nice storage inside. Ha...

An Indian small wooden box from the 19th century, with iron hardware and carved rosacea. Created in India during the 19th century, this wooden box fea...

A fine example of an English needlework casket from the Charles II period (1660-1685), with silk work exterior panels depicting various figures and animals, a top mirrored compartmen...

A very unique decorative jewelry box hand-crafted of black glass, mirror, iron, and geode by Don Drumm, late 20th century. The geode boasts a bevy of brilliant blues, from cerulean t...

An Italian straw work box decorated everywhere with extraordinary straw-work geometrical marquetry on a wooden structure, coated even inside and at the bottom. This Italian box, has a rectangular shape, hand-realized in an antique abbey...

An Indian rustic wooden box from the 19th century, with nicely weathered appearance, iron details and incised motifs. Created in India during the 1...

This is either a 19thc hardware drawer box or a cash drawer of sorts.The construction is early cut nails and a dovetailed drawer.There is a brass & iron handle on the side of the box...

A Swedish oak-wood box from the Gustavian period dated 1802. The richly carved box with scenes of a dog hunting a deer, doves flying and black grouses. Decorated with a pattern of ro...

Antique folk art box, a so called Forskrin which was used when travelling for storing documents and valuables around the late 1700s. Made in nor...

Jim Rose Two Door - Six Drawer Cupboard Maquette Solid Cast Iron w/ Steel Nail Heads 6h x 4.25w x 2d in 15.24h x 10.79w x 5.08d cm JR0274 Jim Rose b. 1966, d. 2023 Bio: Born in I...

A rustic Indian antique wooden treasure box from the 19th century, with iron braces, carved rosettes and petite feet. Created in India duri...

An Iron Chinoiserie Box, 19th Century Description: The iron box rectangular in form, with brass drop handle affixed to flat top with gilt work figurative scene, further gilt work s...

A portable stacking box featuring five separate tiers, crafted from limewood and originally coated in black lacquer. Remnants of the lacquer are still visible, lending the container ...

This antique coal scuttle was created in France, circa 1870. Built of cast iron, and shaped as a shell with foliage repousse decor, the patinated bucket stands on escargot feet over ...

A shaped Regency period room warmer in the form of an elongated allium bulb with curved sides and octagonal ribs, with integral lid and decorated footed base, constructed of heavy ca...

Spanish wooden chest with original iron fittings.

Unique, Large and functional wrought Iron Mailbox. The piece is a functional mailbox with a pull handle in the front, several train cars, with the last being open to hold boxes and ...

A fine example of an early 17th century Italian wooden casket or box, possibly pine, with slightly vaulted lid covered with red silk and adorned with appliqued foliate velvet with em...

French wrought iron key box, France, 1950s. Measures: Width 10.6" (27cm), height 7" (17.7cm), depth 2.3" (6cm).

An early 19th century French boite à sel, or salt box, made of solid oak. Hinged lid with tacked leather tabs. A simple handcrafted box with nice proportio...

An Indian rustic wooden box from the 19th century, with nicely weathered appearance, iron details and incised motifs. Created in India during the 1...

An Indian antique black box from the 19th century with iron nailheads and braces, carved wooden base and rustic patina. Created in India during the 19th century, this box features a linear silhouette perfectly complimented by a black patina accented with iron nailheads. The lid opens fully to reveal a reddish brown lacquered interior with nicely weathered appearance. Raised on a carved wooden base with iron details, this antique Indian box...

19th century ball-shaped iron box with hook for hanging.

1930s wooden box with iron corners.

Each of the four squares that make up this table center consists of four triangles forged between them to form a hollow in the shape of an inverted pyramid. The four squares are ass...

This hand-crafted wood container dates to the early 20th century and was used to store rice and other grains. The lidded container has a rounded body with a short footed base, constr...

19th century ball-shaped iron box with hook for hanging and a lock.

H 30cm x W 60cm x D 45cm Metal bound Swedish " wedding " box. Sweden 1840 circa 5kg

Metal bound Swedish "wedding" box