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 16

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.

Chest Trunk Coffer Stunning Rare Zanzibar Teak and Brass C1850

19th century

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Chest Trunk Coffer Stunning Rare Zanzibar Teak and Brass C1850

From Cloverleaf Home Interiors

£1,165

FOR SALE

chests

Beautiful Victorian Coromandel Tea Caddy.

1900 - 1920

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Beautiful Victorian Coromandel Tea Caddy.

From The Dorking Desk Shop

£345

FOR SALE

boxes

19th century

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A Charming 19th Century Brass Snuff Box with an Inscription. Take a Pinch and Welcome

From Gerard Robinson Fine Art and Antiques

£225

FOR SALE

boxes

19th century

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19th Century Brass Bound Burr Wood Amboyna Box

From Richard Anthony Rush Antiques

£175

FOR SALE

boxes

Walnut Jewellery Box Circa 1890. Sewing / Workbox,

19th century

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Walnut Jewellery Box Circa 1890. Sewing / Workbox,

From Frank Craig Antiques

£550

FOR SALE

boxes

Antique French Ormolu & Marble Casket 19th C

19th century

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Antique French Ormolu & Marble Casket 19th C

From Regent Antiques

£1,275

FOR SALE

boxes

19th century

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C19th Camphor Campaign Chest

From Antiques Decorative

£980

FOR SALE

chests

19th century

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19th Century Parquetry Miniature Desk

From Martlesham Antiques

£2,550

FOR SALE

desks

19th century

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Georgian Tobacco/snuff Box, C1820

From Curious Antiques

£175

FOR SALE

boxes

19th century

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19thc Camphor Wood Chest

From Piers Pisani Ltd Antiques and Furniture

£950

FOR SALE

chests

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

19th century

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19th Century French Rosewood and Brass Inlaid Dressing Box

From E W Cousins and Son

£1,300

FOR SALE

boxes

19th century

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Antique Fine Quality 19th Century Concave Shaped Upholstered Ottoman Blanket Box

From Prior and Willis

£1,396

FOR SALE

chests

Victorian Stationary Box Cormandel Brass Letter Casket 1890

19th century

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Victorian Stationary Box Cormandel Brass Letter Casket 1890

From Canonbury Antiques

£875

FOR SALE

boxes

19th century

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Coromandel Vanity Box C.1870

From Michael Johnson Antiques

£750

FOR SALE

boxes

Splendid Military Campaign Writing Slope with Candle Sconces & Secret Sovereign Section

19th century

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Splendid Military Campaign Writing Slope with Candle Sconces & Secret Sovereign Section

From Terrier Antiques at Hebden Bridge

£1,595

FOR SALE

boxes

Victorian Black Glass Artificial Horizon Set by John Lilley & Son London

19th century

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Victorian Black Glass Artificial Horizon Set by John Lilley & Son London

From Jason Clarke Antiques

£1,495

FOR SALE

miscellaneous

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19th Century Brass Box

Chest Trunk Coffer Stunning Rare Zanzibar Teak and Brass C1850

Beautiful Victorian Coromandel Tea Caddy.

A Charming 19th Century Brass Snuff Box with an Inscription. Take a Pinch and Welcome

19th Century Brass Bound Burr Wood Amboyna Box

Walnut Jewellery Box Circa 1890. Sewing / Workbox,

Antique French Ormolu & Marble Casket 19th C

C19th Camphor Campaign Chest

19th Century Parquetry Miniature Desk

Georgian Tobacco/snuff Box, C1820

19thc Camphor Wood Chest

19th Century French Rosewood and Brass Inlaid Dressing Box

Antique Fine Quality 19th Century Concave Shaped Upholstered Ottoman Blanket Box

Victorian Stationary Box Cormandel Brass Letter Casket 1890

Coromandel Vanity Box C.1870

Splendid Military Campaign Writing Slope with Candle Sconces & Secret Sovereign Section

Victorian Black Glass Artificial Horizon Set by John Lilley & Son London

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