Featured Large carved oak? wood box - age? what was its original use - jewelry? makeup?

This was bought as part of a table lot from that never-ending estate auction that was happened over the last few months.

It is large measuring 13 1/2" by 9 3/8" across the bottom & 6" to the top of the lid.

It is carved but I don't know if it was done by hand or not. I am also unsure of the type of wood but possibly some type of oak.

It has a removable upper tray that appears to have been stripped of most of its cloth covering. The bottom portion is divided into 3 sections. The one velvet sect has a round raised spot with a depressed center possibly to hold a jar of some sort that measures 2" across the depressed area. There is a slotted piece in the back of that area that could possibly be for rings.

The lid does not have anything that would keep the lid vertical like a chain & there doesn't appear to have ever been one present. Consequently, the lid goes all the way back to a horizontal position.

There also is obviously something missing from the lid. The material is ripped & there is a wooden frame of sorts underneath. I thought possible a mirror but it is off-center & there are 2 pieces of wood that form a channel off to the right.

So what does everybody think - jewelry box, makeup box, sewing box, or other?

Homemade OAK or mass-produced? Pre-1900s, post-1900s, or later?



Thanks for any & all advice or opinions!!!

 

mass produced jewelry box.....I'd say..

 

It does look like a mirror. Maybe it was positioned off-centre because something relatively high was kept in the front compartment?

 

This shape, sort of, but more Art Deco-ish:

 

Oak, factory made, early 20th century 1930's to 40's I'd say.

 

Thanks @komokwa @Any Jewelry @Ce BCA!!

That was my thought also but if it was a jewelry box why a hand mirror rather than a stationary centered mirror?

 

I can't think of the word, but it wasn't for jewellery. Think of the jars.

 

toiletry set ?

 

That's the one!
I couldn't think of it in any language. Mind you, I just switched on my TV and every Dutch person seemed to be speaking Vietnamese or something. My language centre clearly needed a break.

 

I wonder if that is missing a musical movement.

 

Thanks for the assist @komokwa!!

@Any Jewelry - We all have those days when we wonder if our brains aren't just a pile of scrambled eggs.

The other day I was wandering through a shop & saw a couple of Rose Medallion demitasse cups. I went to research them quickly about 2 minutes later & all I could remember was the word rose. No matter how hard I tried I could not recall the word medallion & had to resort to putting different search words into eBay till I found a listing.

That is another possibility. Thanks!!

 

I thought the same thing.

 

"We all have those days when"

my Days....are turning into WEEKS !!!

 

Scrambled eggs is exactly the right term.

And months, and years.

 

And decades.

 

I suspect that hardware is older. It sure looks like 1880s aesthetic movement to me.

 

Nice box. I'm going for it to be a jewelry box. Could the round concave item be pocket watch rest? Some of the older jewelry boxes did.

 

I thought it was for a music box, but the round holder be about right for a watch.

 

I would have thought this was older as well. Also based on the hardware. First thought was early 1900's, but honestly a guess.

No idea what is missing inside, but I'd look into the pocket watch rest. This seems too old to be one of those musical jewelry boxes.

It's a gorgeous box.

 

In reviewing comments and looking at the pics again, I think that is definitely a jewelry box. But in looking at pic #7, of the bottom of the lid, I see what looks like part of a snap, which would indicate that some item was snapped in. I think that "Any Jewelry" was on the right track with a hand held mirror. Perhaps the tray contained cosmetic or manicure tools? Ergo, the box served two purposes....