What were campaign boxes used for?

Military officers and colonial administrators used campaign boxes to transport uniforms, documents, and personal valuables safely across rough terrain. Their robust construction and recessed brass fittings allowed them to endure frequent loading onto ships and carriages. Over time, these chests transitioned from functional military equipment into decorative household furniture, appreciated for their sturdy build and aromatic camphor wood interiors.

How can I tell a writing box from a jewellery box?

Writing boxes feature a hinged lid that opens to reveal a slanted writing surface, often covered in leather, alongside dedicated slots for inkwells and pens. They frequently include hidden compartments beneath the writing flap for confidential papers. Jewellery boxes, by contrast, focus on shallow, partitioned trays lined with velvet or silk, designed specifically to hold rings, necklaces, and watches without sloping writing panels.

What is camphor wood?

Camphor wood is a fragrant timber harvested from the camphor tree, widely used in the nineteenth century for campaign chests and trunks destined for tropical climates. Its natural oils repel insects and help protect stored garments from damp conditions. Boxes made from this wood retain their distinct, medicinal aroma decades later, serving as a primary indicator of colonial and military transport use.

Are keys usually included with these boxes?

Many nineteenth-century boxes survive without their original keys due to decades of moving and misplacement. Working locks with matching keys are noted in descriptions when present. Even without a key, the brass escutcheons and lock mechanisms remain intact as decorative and structural components of the piece.

Home > Antiques For Sale > 19th Century Brass Box > Page 8

19th Century Brass Box

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When you handle a 19th century brass box, you touch an object made for travel, correspondence, or safe storage during a period of global movement.

19th century

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Victorian Oak Presentation Box

From Elmgarden

£450

FOR SALE

boxes

19th century

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Victorian Walnut Writing Slope

From Sinclairs Antiques and Interiors

£175

FOR SALE

boxes

Campaign Style Mahogany Writing Slope with Secret Drawers

19th century

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Campaign Style Mahogany Writing Slope with Secret Drawers

From John Hubbard Antiques

£380

FOR SALE

boxes

19th century

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Mid 19th Century Mahogany Brass Bound Campaign Writing Slope

From Debenham Antiques Ltd

£995

FOR SALE

boxes

19th century

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Antique Camphorwood Campaign Trunk

From Deva Antiques

£985

FOR SALE

chests

Small Antique Specimen Case, English, Oak, Collector’s Cabinet, Victorian, 1880

19th century

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Small Antique Specimen Case, English, Oak, Collector’s Cabinet, Victorian, 1880

From London Fine Antiques

£1,295

FOR SALE

cupboards

Victorian Jewellery / Dressing Case Circa 1875

19th century

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Victorian Jewellery / Dressing Case Circa 1875

From Frank Craig Antiques

£390

FOR SALE

boxes

Rare French Iron Three Dial Combination Safe/cash Box Coffres-forts

19th century

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Rare French Iron Three Dial Combination Safe/cash Box Coffres-forts

From Terrier Antiques at Hebden Bridge

£495

FOR SALE

boxes

18th century

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Rosewood Campaign Box C.1820

From Michael Johnson Antiques

£390

FOR SALE

boxes

Antique Vanity Case, English, Travelling Dressing Table Box, Regency, Circa 1820

19th century

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Antique Vanity Case, English, Travelling Dressing Table Box, Regency, Circa 1820

From London Fine Antiques

£1,195

FOR SALE

boxes

Several boxes double as portable pharmacies and drinking bars, proving that nineteenth-century travellers refused to compromise on medicine or spirits.

Smart Antique English Crocodile / Alligator Skin Jewellery Box C.1890

19th century

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Smart Antique English Crocodile / Alligator Skin Jewellery Box C.1890

From Puckerings

£1,195

FOR SALE

boxes

19th century

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Twelve Air Musical Box by Nicole Freres

From The Antique Clock Co.

£4,250

FOR SALE

boxes

19th century

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Camphor Wood Box

From Claire Langley Antiques

£800

FOR SALE

chests

19th century

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Dated 19th Century Dutch Tobacco Box

From Carse Antiques

£125

FOR SALE

boxes

19th century

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C19th Camphor Campaign Trunk

From Antiques Decorative

£820

FOR SALE

chests

Beautiful Rosewood Sarcophagus Shaped Sewing Box.

19th century

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Beautiful Rosewood Sarcophagus Shaped Sewing Box.

From The Dorking Desk Shop

£275

FOR SALE

boxes

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19th Century Brass Box

Victorian Oak Presentation Box

Victorian Walnut Writing Slope

Campaign Style Mahogany Writing Slope with Secret Drawers

Mid 19th Century Mahogany Brass Bound Campaign Writing Slope

Antique Camphorwood Campaign Trunk

Small Antique Specimen Case, English, Oak, Collector’s Cabinet, Victorian, 1880

Victorian Jewellery / Dressing Case Circa 1875

Rare French Iron Three Dial Combination Safe/cash Box Coffres-forts

Rosewood Campaign Box C.1820

Antique Vanity Case, English, Travelling Dressing Table Box, Regency, Circa 1820

Smart Antique English Crocodile / Alligator Skin Jewellery Box C.1890

Twelve Air Musical Box by Nicole Freres

Camphor Wood Box

Dated 19th Century Dutch Tobacco Box

C19th Camphor Campaign Trunk

Beautiful Rosewood Sarcophagus Shaped Sewing Box.

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