Antique Parquetry Tunbridge Ware Boxes

I have just bought an early 19th century antique treen Tunbridgeware box. When you look at the lid of this box its fascinating.The lid is made up of veneered parquetry. The beauty is in the colours and striations of the wood. The three dimensional effect gives the lid depth. At the time this antique treen Tunbridgeware box was made in Kent in the early 19th century, the rest of the country were using imported timbers like mahogany, these Tunbridgeware makers were using whatever woods were available, particularly the locally grown woods such as yew, cherry, oak, holly, beech, birch and to this they would have added a few exotic woods. Some of the woods used were stained, note the centre square with black dots on the first image, this was palm wood and its tubular parts took up stain very well. Sometimes holly wood was used for stringing, being boiled to get a white wood to show the contrast against other woods. Woods with greenish tinges are the cause of fungal attach on woods such as oak, birch or beech. On this lid coromandel, yew and walnut were used to name a few.

These pieces of antique treen parquetry Tunbridgeware should be treasured and admired for the sheer beauty of the woods.