Tunbridge Ware Trinket Box with Floral Mosaics c1865

Description

Heading : Tunbridge Ware Trinket Box with Floral Mosaics c1865
Date : c1865
Period : Victorian
Origin : Tunbridge Wells. England
Decoration : Hinged box. almost square in section with a curved. square-ended lid; to the top. a lily mosaic set within a golden satinwood reserve. surrounded by a narrow floral frieze. both elements within their own banded keyline stringing; a wider floral frieze around all four square sides of the base. featuring roses with well-defined depth and archetypal 19th century style dahlias. again with banded keylines; the bottom half of the base has plain. canted faces of rosewood veneer; the whole sits on four plain bun feet. has plain black lining paper to the base and extravagant. combed paper lining internally – a later replacement. There are no ledges or corner pillars to suggest that a tray once sat inside. so this is just a deep box
Size :  19.2 x21.6 x14.0 cm
Condition : Very good; missing edge veneers to the underside; scuffing to the curved edges of the lid and losses to the lining paper on the underside; has a working lock and key
Restoration : probably re-lined
Weight :  729 grams

Notes : the general style of the decoration on this Tunbridge ware is fairly generic. but the pronounced depth given to the roses suggests that it is the work of Henry Hollamby. as does the plain (rather than textured) base lining paper. The lack of green tesserae mitigate against this being a Thomas Barton piece. though Thomas Waterman cannot be ruled out entirely…