A Fine Early 19th Century Georgian Early Regency Period Birdseye Maple Veneered Jewellery, Or Sewing, Box Having Hinged Lid Enclosing Three Removable Mahogany Lined Trays With Original Flush Fitted Brass Handle To Each Side, Housed On Original Stand With Four Elegant Square Tapering Legs.

Birdseye Maple is a particularly attractive wood which as the name suggests is a variation of traditional maple. Generally unmistakeable due to the distinctive Birdseye like figuring it is both highly decorative and relatively rare, due to the distinctive grain being caused by unfavourable growing conditions for the original tree.

It first become popular in the early 19th century and has been relatively widely used in fine furniture ever since. In the days when furniture was hand made only the best cabinet makers would dare to use Birdseye Maple due to the huge amount of skill required in the working and cutting of the wood due to its divergent grain. It took many, many hours of hand planing to produce a successful high sheen when working with this wood.

This box on stand is a really fabulous piece of relatively unique antique furniture. We have never seen anything quite the same before and that is one of the things which make us love our job so much. The combination of the unusual proportions, the incredibly elegant original stand, the overall quality of construction and the Birdseye Maple veneers really are quite something to behold.

We cannot decide whether the piece was originally made as a jewellery box, a sewing box, or possibly even a specimen display/storage box. Whichever of those was the original purpose it is certainly fit to use for any of those purposes and more!

Overall the condition is very good and it is worth noting that the item has been restored in our workshops by our highly skilled craftsman in the traditional manner, culminating with a natural wax polish to ensure it is ready to be placed straight into the home.

Also please note that there is a significant bow to one of the legs which we personally think is a lovely piece of character when taking into account the age of the piece. This bowed leg does not effect the structural integrity of the item at all and it stands very much level and is very stable.

There is also a working lock and key.

Circa 1810

Height 34.5in
Width 11in
Depth 9in