A Superb Tunbridge Ware Jewellery Or Sewing Box with Image Depicting Eridge Castle

Description

Heading : Tunbridge Ware – A Superb Jewellery/Sewing Box with Image Depicting Eridge Castle 
Date : c 1870
Period : Victorian
Origin : England; Tunbridge Wells (attrib. Henry Hollamby – see below)
Decoration : A flat. rectangular panel set in relief of the box lid. over slightly rounded edges; the panel bears an image of Eridge Castle set in to a satin-wood background with a geometric patterned border within pairs of banded and continuous keylines; the curved edges of the lid bear a mixed floral wool-work border set in the same pair of keylines; the square edge of the flat panel has a five-square geometric pattern around all four edges. which are barely 10mm high; the box body (with birds-eye maple veneers) has concave sides (the top of an ogee profile) and a wide floral frieze of roses. chrysanthemums and peonies within banded/continuous keylines; the body curves back in below the frieze. and the whole sits on turned (plain) wooden feet; the keyhole has a round. domed stickware escutcheon.

Internally. there is no tray. but equally there are no corner-posts or ledged edges to indicate. definitively. that there was ever one in place. What we do have. though. is the most ornate inside lid decoration; there is a one inch wide geometric border running round the four edges. which – in conjunction with a central turned stickware button – secures an original. pleated. pale-magenta satin lining; the well of the body is lined with well-matched but non-original material.
Size : 30.5 x 25.6 x 16.2cm high
Condition : Excellent; there are some shrinkage cracks to the top of the lid which have resulted in minor losses to the tesserae. but these are now well-lacquered and stable; very minimal losses to the wide frieze. minor grain-cracks to the veneer. all the corners are good; there’s a split the full width of the base board. but this is firmly set within its frame; internally very good with some wear-holes to the original silk lining; working key
Restoration : Professionally cleaned and polished; replacement liner as above
Weight :  1982 grams

Notes: Although Eridge Castle is one of the most commonly used topographic mosaics. this one is identical to that used on a games box which has been definitively attributed elsewhere to Henry Hollamby; it also varies slightly from other. later versions also credited to the same source – varying only in the extent of the ivy-coverage to the building !