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 17

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.

Two Early C19th George IV Period ‘En Suite’ Rosewood Box Desk-tidys Attributed to Gillows of Lancaster.

19th century

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Two Early C19th George IV Period ‘En Suite’ Rosewood Box Desk-tidys Attributed to Gillows of Lancaster.

From M Lees and Sons

£1,100

FOR SALE

boxes

19th century

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Mid 19th Century Campaign Camphor Metamorphic Lap Desk

From Debenham Antiques Ltd

£1,595

FOR SALE

boxes

19th century

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Pair of 19th-century Chinese Leather Trunks / Storage Box with Brass Detailing

From Colton Antiques

£1,250

FOR SALE

chests

19th century

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An Unusual Victorian Walnut Inkstand

From The Dorking Desk Shop

£585

FOR SALE

miscellaneous

19th century

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19th Century Camphor Wood Campaign Trunk

From Anthony Short Antiques

£1,400

FOR SALE

chests

19th century

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19th Century Campaign Metamorphic Camphor Writing Slope

From Debenham Antiques Ltd

£1,250

FOR SALE

boxes

19th century

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Brass Inlaid Rosewood Tea Caddy

From Georgian Antiques

£875

FOR SALE

boxes

19th C Folk Art Barge Wear, Toleware Log Box

19th century

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19th C Folk Art Barge Wear, Toleware Log Box

From Elmgarden

£510

FOR SALE

chests

A Good and Large Victorian Music Box Circa 1875

19th century

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A Good and Large Victorian Music Box Circa 1875

From Frank Craig Antiques

£1,700

FOR SALE

boxes

Writing Slope Coromandel with Secret Drawers

19th century

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Writing Slope Coromandel with Secret Drawers

From Sovereign Antiques Of Nuneaton

£695

FOR SALE

boxes

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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A Camphor Campaign Trunk

From The Antique Partnership

£575

FOR SALE

chests

19th century

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19th-century Coromandel Dressing Box C1870 with Working Key.

From Rupert Landen Antiques

£595

FOR SALE

boxes

19th century

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A Very Fine 19th Century Brass Bound Ladies Travelling Vanity Case

From Yeats Country Antiques

£2,175

FOR SALE

boxes

19th century

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Regency Mahogany Worktable. Circa 1820

From Guy Dennler Antiques and Interiors

£2,750

FOR SALE

furniture

19th century

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Lecoultre 19th Century Music Box.

From Peter Harris Clocks & Militaria

£950

FOR SALE

boxes

Rare Japanese Cloisonne Enamel Lidded Bowl. Edo Period. Circa 1860.

19th century

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Rare Japanese Cloisonne Enamel Lidded Bowl. Edo Period. Circa 1860.

From Dragoncharger Antiques

£2,250

FOR SALE

metal

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19th Century Brass Box

Two Early C19th George IV Period ‘En Suite’ Rosewood Box Desk-tidys Attributed to Gillows of Lancaster.

Mid 19th Century Campaign Camphor Metamorphic Lap Desk

Pair of 19th-century Chinese Leather Trunks / Storage Box with Brass Detailing

An Unusual Victorian Walnut Inkstand

19th Century Camphor Wood Campaign Trunk

19th Century Campaign Metamorphic Camphor Writing Slope

Brass Inlaid Rosewood Tea Caddy

19th C Folk Art Barge Wear, Toleware Log Box

A Good and Large Victorian Music Box Circa 1875

Writing Slope Coromandel with Secret Drawers

A Camphor Campaign Trunk

19th-century Coromandel Dressing Box C1870 with Working Key.

A Very Fine 19th Century Brass Bound Ladies Travelling Vanity Case

Regency Mahogany Worktable. Circa 1820

Lecoultre 19th Century Music Box.

Rare Japanese Cloisonne Enamel Lidded Bowl. Edo Period. Circa 1860.

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