Antique wooden boxes have been a favourite for collectors across the years and here, we look at the most popular types, and what you should watch out for when buying.
There is something rather charming about antique wooden boxes and for collectors of these fascinating reminders of a bygone age, there is certainly a wide range to choose from. While many boxes that are collected today are held purely as decorative and ornamental objects, many of them started out in life as practical and functional items, serving their owners well. From vanity boxes to antique sewing boxes, antique boxes are works of art in their own right, that encapsulate all the skill of the cabinetmaker, in miniature.
Popular antique wooden boxes
Antique boxes used for storage remain popular today with collectors. These include antique writing boxes, antique jewellery boxes, and antique tea caddies.
Antique writing boxes
Antique writing boxes can be found in a variety of woods, including mahogany and rosewood, with finer examples featuring protective brass corner mounts. The interior of an antique writing box can vary significantly from a simple paper lining to a more flamboyant velvet interior, with divided sections to hold writing paraphernalia. Writing boxes evolved into lap desks which featured hinged lids. When opened, the lid formed a writing slope and, today, antique writing slopes are also sought after by collectors.
Antique jewellery boxes
Dating back to Ancient Egypt where both men and women indulged their love of jewels, jewellery boxes are the most common forms of storage for precious items. Originally intended to keep pieces safe, later jewellery boxes were intended to protect the jewellery against damage and tarnishing. Early antique jewellery boxes would have been individual objects, made as one-off items for their owner, reaching the height of their popularity in Victorian times when collecting reached a peak and jewellery boxes served to display prized collections.
Antique tea caddies
As tea began to be imported into Britain, so the tea caddy evolved to store and safeguard this valuable commodity. Separate canisters – for green and black leaves – were contained within a lockable chest, often made from different wood such as mahogany and pine. Early antique tea caddies were paper-lined but later examples, which were sometimes made from ivory and tortoise shell, were lead lined.
Antique wooden boxes for the novice collector
Today, the collector of antique wooden boxes is spoilt for choice. From antique sewing boxes to antique needle boxes, the new collector can take their pick according to taste and budget, with prices starting at less than £100, and rising to thousands.
Antique wooden boxes from Hemswell Antique Centres
At Hemswell, our dealers offer a wide range of antique wooden boxes for every taste. Our antique boxes online contain over a hundred of the finest examples and a trip to our centres will give you access to hundreds more. Based not too far from the historic city of Lincoln, our four buildings contain a host of wonderful items that you can browse at your leisure, taking in a light lunch at one of our restaurants to break up your day.
