how to clean an old tortoiseshell box?

Dust it gently with a soft, dry microfibre cloth. Avoid using water or liquid polishes, as moisture can seep into the seams and weaken the animal glue holding the veneer in place. If the surface looks dull, a very light application of microcrystalline wax restores the shine. Buff it off immediately with a clean cotton cloth. Never use household chemical cleaners on the shell.

My grandmother left me a tortoiseshell tea caddy but the foil lining inside is flaking off into powder, should I scrape it all out?

It's best to leave the original interior lining alone. That flaky material is likely lead foil, which makers used to keep the tea leaves dry and fresh. Scraping it out destroys part of the box's history. If the powder is a nuisance, you can seal it carefully. Some collectors brush a very thin layer of archival conservation adhesive over the degrading foil to consolidate it. You might prefer to simply leave the caddy empty and display it closed.

what causes tortoiseshell to crack?

Fluctuations in humidity and temperature do the most damage. The wooden carcase expands and shrinks at a different rate to the shell veneer covering it. Over time, this constant movement puts the tortoiseshell under tension. It eventually splits along the grain or pulls away from the wood.

I have noticed some boxes have a really bright reddish tint behind the shell, did the makers dye the tortoiseshell or is that natural?

The shell itself isn't dyed. Hawksbill turtle shell is naturally translucent in the lighter areas. Makers exploited this by placing coloured material between the wood and the veneer during construction. They often used gold leaf, silver foil, or paper painted with red pigment. Light passes through the blonde parts of the shell and reflects off the backing, giving the box that glowing red appearance.

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Antique Tortoiseshell Boxes

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Antique tortoiseshell boxes are small, decorative containers veneered in the patterned shell of the hawksbill turtle, originally made from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries to hold tea, sewing implements, or jewellery.