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

No worries, I did make the mistake, I never worry about making mistakes when writing, it's just a reality of being dyslexic. I'm happy to be pulled up on anything members don't understand.

 

And, of course, there is the ever-present danger of the autocorrect function. Sometimes I will watch movies or even the news with subtitles (which of course are computer generated). It can get kind of funny sometimes!

Linda

 

The nearest I have seen to anything like this is : https://markjonesantiques.co.uk/product/vizagapatam-desk-box/

 

I very much wish they were 18th c vizagapatam but unfortunately not I still haven't found what they are, I have seen a number of them over the years but nothing concrete.

 

Yup they lied 3 out of the 4 corners damaged and the base split and a bit broken off, never the less I would pay the £30 1000x over to receive 1000 of the same boxes again, some boxes like Sadeli or maybe a finely made European boxes look really bad with damage whereas this box still has all it's charm even with the damage. Yes I'm disappointed it wasn't "without damage" but I didn't think I was going to get it at all as the seller was an old guy who didn't send it out for 2 weeks because of "having the flu" I did think he had looked it up and seen it's true value. Anyway it arrived today and despite the damage I'm very happy

 

My new £30 broken box

 

The detail of carving is stunning, raver. Just imagine the patience and time that went into that. And good eyesight.

 

Even with the damage (that isn't that noticeable) it's a real cracker and yes it must have taken quite a while.

 

Those boxes you've collected recently are fantastic, but all I can think of is dust getting into all those crevices and I get a headache just thinking about cleaning them!

 

Bargain at £30 even with the damage in my opinion

 

Yes the dust is a nightmare, I do have Globe Wernicke bookcases for the smaller ones but the big writing slope (that's the worst for dusting) will have to go out in the open The cleaning was the worst part of the restoration, I don't think anyone had cleaned it in it's 190 year existence, I'm going to at least give it ten years before I clean it again

 

Bargain indeed, when I did the Google lens post I found that by Lensing the slope lol

 

I don't even want to think about cleaning one of those, and odds are no one else wanted to either. These boxes were intended for owners with armies of servants, not for the likes of us.

Or as I call it, Auto-incorrect.

 

This box took less than 10 mins to clean and wax, I used a washing up brush with soap and water, compressed air to dry, a shoe shining brush to apply wax polish followed by a heat gun to melt the wax polish, job done. The real problem was the writing slope, the brush couldn't reach in to clean the deep crevices in the carving, nor could I wax it using the shoe shine brush, after days of trying everything I've decided to call it a day, it's no where near as bad as it was. I'm now thinking a small bottle brush would have done the job.

 

Or a child-size toothbrush, or is that what you used? We joolies use toothbrushes for all sorts of small cleaning jobs.

 

I don't think a small toothbrush would do it. I've tried to take clear enough photos to show how deep the carving is, I've also put pipe cleaners in to show how undercut the carving is. Just to think this is all done in ebony, must have taken ages.

 

Tried to make this one clearer

 

Wowser -- the pipe cleaners show the intricacy of the carvings -- and how difficult to clean!

 

It's been really difficult to show being black on black. The pipe cleaners show how deep and small the carving is. I don't think it's ever been cleaned, it must have been in a room with a coal fire for at least 100 years, 3 days I spent cleaning it and it's still not clean