Heading : Tunbridge Ware - An Outstanding Glove Box with Butterfly or Moth Mosaic and Inset Miniature Parquetry c1840
Date : c1840
Period : Victorian
Origin : Tunbridge Wells; England - attributed to Edmund Nye or possibly James Burrows
Decoration : A hinged base and lid; mosaic image of a butterfly or moth to the top of the lid, flanked by two miniature parquetry squares and a matching border; the four sides of the base all carry a geometric pattern, again of miniature parquetry; lined with turquoise paper internally, additionally with pale blue silk to the inside top of the lid; the external base lined with marbled paper
Size : 24.3 x 9.4 x 6.3 cm
Condition : Flawless; all the tiles are intact; there are some tiny patches where the lacquer has flaked off to one end and the hinged back faces; box is solid and almost entirely unmarked; the key is unfortunately missing
Restoration : Professionally cleaned
Weight :  372 grams

Notes : Edmund Nye is generally credited as the creator of pieces featuring butterflies and moths, though given the early provenance of this item, we must be mindful that James Burrows was recorded as having also used them - as well as birds and dogs - in the late 1830's; our stated date for the piece is firmly in the period before floral Berlin-woolwork mosaics became standard, when geometric patterns still reigned supreme - it may be realistic to push this back another five or ten years at a push. Nye, however, often used marbled lining paper on his work, which would increase the likelihood of this being one of his items. The butterfly or moth looks rather plain and simple at first glance, but on closer inspection it can be seen that the choice of wood for the tesserae is quite deliberate - there are two different shades of palmera and another very similar, darker wood - the end-grain profiles of which produce a myriad of tiny dots - very much like the scales on butterfly's wing which shows quite extraordinary attention to detail. The choice of wood for the parquetry inserts also shows similarly intricate graining.