Are camphor chests always solid camphor wood?

No. Plenty are solid camphor, but the term also covers chests built in another timber, or covered in leather, with camphor used only as the interior lining. Listings distinguish the two, using "camphor lined" for the second kind. Wood appears in 338 of the 534 titles on Sellingantiques.

What period do these chests come from?

The dated listings run from 1800 to 1950. Dating is loose more often than precise, with 198 saying only "19th Century" and a further block given as Victorian. Where a decade is named, the 1920s lead, followed by the 1900s, then the 1880s and 1910s. Georgian, Regency and eighteenth-century labels appear, but as isolated dealer attributions rather than a body of stock.

Why are so many called campaign trunks?

Campaign describes a piece made to be moved with a serving officer: brass at the corners, flush or recessed fittings, handles at both ends. Camphor suited the job because it protected textiles on long journeys to hot climates. Campaign appears in 148 titles and military in 38, which makes the brass-bound travelling trunk the largest single group in the category.

How do carved oriental chests differ from the plain trunks?

The carved group is worked in relief across the front and lid, and is described as Chinese, Cantonese or oriental. Carved appears in 94 titles, Chinese in 90. They sit later than the campaign trunks, concentrating in the first third of the twentieth century. The 1920s is the best-represented decade in the whole category.

Do people buy these for storage rather than display?

Yes. Around one in eight titles sells the chest for a present-day job: blanket box, storage box, or coffee table. A handful come mounted on stands. Blanket appears in 32 titles, storage in 30.

How often do camphor chests come up for sale?

A little over sixty come to market on Sellingantiques in an average year. A hundred and three different dealers have handled one, so the category isn't held by a single specialist. Sizes run from small box scale up to pieces described as huge or oversized.