Featured Does anybody know where these boxes were made and when?

I've had the larger one for years and bought the smaller one a few days ago.
I tried looking them up and just get conflicting info on date and place.
They seem to be made from a dark wood (like rosewood but not heavy enough) and the inlay is ivory, the larger one is sun bleached but the same dark wood inside.

 

.another , maybe..... no ID

 

Yup, saw that one with houses and street lights and another one with palm trees saying it's from Ceylon 19thc but I really can't find anything definitive or even 2 reports saying the same thing. I've seen many before but didn't know if they are even antique. I suspect I'm just missing the right website.

 

https://www.ebay.com.my/itm/155443165585

 

THEY are BOTH
SIMPLY GORGEOUS !!!!!!!​

 

Handsome boxes. I’d have thought late 19th or early to mid 20th Anglo Indian/Anglo Indian inspired. Could be made somewhere else close by. That’d be my first thought.

 

I also think Anglo-Indian or more general colonial Indian.

 

I was thinking the same when I bought them. Any idea what to type into the internet to find the same boxes?

 

Probably everything you tried already.
Ivory floral scroll inlaid Asian box.

It would help if we knew the wood. You say it is not as heavy as rosewood, but different types of rosewood have different weights. Some are quite lightweight.

 

The rosewood I know is of the ebony family and it's not like that, same look but seems lighter in weight. I know this should be my field but I'm at a loss The fact it has ivory means if it's Indian makes it before 1947

 

Found on etsy, with a label indicating made in India -





https://www.etsy.com/listing/1698803728/indian-inlay-wood-cigarette-box-antique

 

I wish it was a hoshiarpur box, I know them very well. It's not a normal Anglo-Indian box, they have a clear design.

 

Anglo Indian ivoreee inlaid box. That should do the trick.

 

lol, 2000 boxes later on Google images and not one example. "Anglo Indian ivoreee inlaid box" There were many regions in India producing boxes, all having a distinctive style, this one has got me, and this is my field of collecting. I was hoping someone might just know.

 

We have different googles (which oddly I really have experienced) because I get plenty with somewhat similar inlay work.

Edit: your area of expertise so there may be many small differences I’m not seeing but I see many things that look similar enough to me.

 

There are at least 15 types of Anglo-Indian boxes produced in India over the 19th c and perhaps many more. That's assuming the boxes I'm looking for is from India in the 19th c. There are subtle differences (to the novice) between 19th c Indian boxes that depict area (1000's of miles) and dates ie 1800-1899, narrowing down where and when the boxes in question were produced (if India at all) would be a very good start in researching them as all these wares have a name ie Sadeli, vizagapatam, hoshiarpur ect when you know what the ware is called it makes it very easy to do the research. Out of over 100 boxes I own I know what all of them are called, all bar 1 and that is these.

 

There is zero chance I’m going to tell you anything you don’t know. My answer was far too vague to be of any help I now realize. I knew someone here was a specialist in these boxes. I just didn’t realize it was you when replying initially. I hope you can pin it down, I’m sure it would be important for you to do so as a specialist collector.


Here is one of the many examples I saw that looked superficially similar to me.
https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auc...s/an-anglo-indian-ivory-inlaid-silver-mounted

 

I so wish it was one of those lol I would love to have something like that. It's a very specialized field and I understand I'm clutching at straws, thank you anyway. I didn't pay a lot for either boxes and just took a punt so no real biggy if it doesn't pay off. There has been many times I've asked a question on here and years later found the answer and there has been times I've found out in a few minutes.

 

That's why we need u here more often.......... to help with those... few minutes answers !!...
and to show off more wonderful boxes !!!

 

It's been really bad of late, I keep buying boxes like I'm , I bought this on Friday I hope it comes as it was a FB seller, lives miles away.