Jonas and George Bowen

Hallmarked in London in 1889 by Barnards, this attractive Victorian, antique, sterling silver biscuit box, has swirled and sunken half fluting, in the Queen Anne style. It has a flus...

A silver-mounted agate box, probably English, circa 1870 rectangular, comprising two plaques of moss agate set as the base and lid of a hinged box with silver mounts, apparently unm...

Extraordinary antique English Sheffield silver plate exceptionally hand chased and engraved Double Folding Biscuit Box with fern motif chasing and engraving and handsome pierced and ...

A charming oak biscuit barrel from the late 19th century. The metal is stamped “EPNS”, or Elecro Plated Nickel Silver, a metal alloy that is then s...

"Dynasty" 100th Episode Silver Plated Table Box Step into the world of luxury with the Dynasty 100th Episode Silver Plated Table Box. This unique keepsake, presented to the Dynasty ...

A charming oak biscuit barrel from the late 19th century. The metal is stamped "EPNS", or Elecro Plated Nickel Silver, a metal alloy that is then silver plated. Traditional porcelain...

Vintage walnut box, trinket box, keepsake made in the USA by F.B. Rogers Silver Company, circa 1970. Made out of gold plate metal and left intentio...

A superb antique 19th century English coromandel and rosewood fitted travel vanity or dressing box, circa 1870. This fine box contains the original contents including silverplate lidded cut glass jars, sewing tools...

Antique American silver-plated cigar humidor champagne bottle, signed "Pairpoint Co.," of New Bedford, Massachusetts, circa 1900.

Inlaid with Squirrels, Birds and Monkeys From our Jewellery Box collection, we are delighted to offer this English boulle Jewellery Box. The box of sarcophagus form with brass edgi...

Offered is a stunning silver plated keepsake box dating to 1900, with associated hallmark. This small box includes a wooden interior with two slots and a blank square on top where initials could have been engraved. A well maintained, elegant piece, this antique silver box is an excellent addition to any silver or home decor collection. Trinket or keepsake boxes have taken on many forms since their first conception in ancient times. However their purpose remains the same; to store jewelry and other items precious to the owner. Originally, these boxes were used specifically for jewelry. These were in common use as early as 5000 BC in Ancient Egypt, when the majority of Egyptians, both male and female, wore jewelry. Boxes were used to keep these gemstone encrusted items safe. In Ancient Rome, jewelry was a status symbol. Rings and brooches were utilized to represent ones status in society. Again, boxes were needed for security and storage purposes. Finding early examples of these are quite rare. Victorian and Edwardian examples of trinket boxes are far more common. This is because owning jewellery was a luxury until the Victorian era- let alone possessing so much a box was needed to store it all. Fine jewelry and other items became available to the masses after the industrial revolution due to the reduction in production costs. This led to a demand for trinket boxes, which were much smaller than jewelry boxes and therefore better suited to the needs of the middle class who did not yet possess an abundance of jewelry. In Victorian households, collectables and other items of interested were also stashed inside these boxes. This is why they are known as trinket or keepsake boxes, rather than just jewelry boxes, although of course jewelry was also stored in them. Trinket boxes were produced in large numbers around this time. Many were lined with colored plush or velvet or rich wood. More elaborate designs had interior divisions and trays for rings and other pieces of jewellery. It was also common to see trinket boxes so small that they could only contain one item, such as a single ring. Ornate exteriors were created to reflect the value of the trinket boxes contents. The Edwardian era saw the introduction of new styles of trinket box. These included small circular or oblong boxes...

Elegant English biscuit box with cut glass insert. The lid with a tapered finial handle and the body with elongated chain and post design. The oval stepped base resting on four bun f...