Antique Treen Boxes
- Opus Antiques UK
- Feb 6, 2016
- 2 min read
What a diverse area Antique treen boxes cover! The modern definition of a box is a container with a flat base, sides typically square or rectangle and having a lid, but that does not begin to describe the range of fabulous antique boxes that can be found.
Firstly the diversity that exist from sewing or work boxes these can be a collecting field in their own right from the early painted whitewood Tunbridge Ware boxes to the rosewood ones inlaid with mother of pearl and ivory, to the humble housekeepers box simply made with a sliding lid from elm, oak etc but because they have been handled and used so much can build up a fantastic patina.
Exquisite snuff boxes these antique treen items exist in so many forms from the popular shoe and boots to boxes shaped in the form of fish, toads, books, boats people, hands to name but a few.,
Tea caddies for keeping precoius and expensive tea in were extremely popular in the 18th and 19th century and they range in shapes and sizes from the traditional shape tea caddy to houses and evem beautifully turned antique treen fruit wood tea caddies in the shape of pears, apples, melons and even aubergines.
What about the wall hanging antique boxes, candles, salt and spices were commonly stored in these boxes which were made in a variety of woods from oak, elm, to fruitwoods like plum and mahogany which in itself can vary from the deep rich cuban mahogany to honduras mahogany with fine figuring flame or plum pudding mahogany. These boxes were not only decorative but stored precious commodities keeping them safe from rodents.
Boxes were made for so many functions, from the treasured keepsafe boxes made by a husband, or father , strong boxes for keeping safe valuable goods, writing boxes made to be quite robust for travelling as they were the main means of communication, no such thing as Emails!!! All these boxes were made in such a diverse range of woods and styles, that you never stop seeing something different.
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