A super 19th Century inlaid marine decorated work/sewing box with fitted interior and working lock.
We are pretty sure this is a Trinity House box, made by lighthouse and lightship keepers who served the lighthouse service during 1850-1880. The story goes that these nautical boxes were made to be sold through the Trinity House Service to captains and crew who had used the services of a pilot or supplied a lighthouse with materials. Most are inlaid with tea clippers, lighthouses or flags and all kinds of marquetry, parquetry string and inlay work are present. Made with solid pine which was nailed or glued and then veneered with walnut, mahogany and rosewood. The inner lids were often velvet or paper and card borders with pictures of animals, birds or women.
This box has all of these features and has retained itself pretty well. There is one small piece of stringing missing on the lid and the interior has one compartment handle missing (we will probably restore this). The interior has five lift out compartments and four front open boxes. The interior centre we think is a pin cushion? The whole top layer lifts out to leave a good space underneath.
The front is decorated with three ships, the lid with an urn of flowers and the interior compartments with flags. The hours this box must have taken to make is unfathomable and the fact it still looks amazing is testament to the makers skill and patience. The lock and hinges are brass.
It measures 32.5cm wide x 22cm deep x 13.5cm high.