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 19

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.

Victorian Music Box Circa 1875. Musical Box, 8 Airs

19th century

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Victorian Music Box Circa 1875. Musical Box, 8 Airs

From Frank Craig Antiques

£1,200

FOR SALE

boxes

Antique Travelling Vanity Case, English, Coromandel, Jewellery Box, Victorian

19th century

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Antique Travelling Vanity Case, English, Coromandel, Jewellery Box, Victorian

From London Fine Antiques

£2,450

FOR SALE

boxes

Drocourt French Grand Sonnerie Repeater Alarm Carriage Clock in the Box with Original Key

19th century

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Drocourt French Grand Sonnerie Repeater Alarm Carriage Clock in the Box with Original Key

From Arundel Clocks

£2,995

FOR SALE

clocks

19th century

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Camphor Wood Trunk

From LTANTIQUES.CO.UK

£775

FOR SALE

chests

English Burr Walnut Domed Casket Trussell Brighton

19th century

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English Burr Walnut Domed Casket Trussell Brighton

From Colin Brand Antiques

£249

FOR SALE

boxes

19th century

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A Fine Regency Rosewood Work Table

From Chequers Antiques

£1,850

FOR SALE

tables

An English Copper and Brass Bellows Novelty Snuff Box, Early 19 Century

19th century

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An English Copper and Brass Bellows Novelty Snuff Box, Early 19 Century

From Gerard Robinson Fine Art and Antiques

£375

FOR SALE

boxes

19th century

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C19th Small Camphor Campaign Trunk

From Antiques Decorative

£380

FOR SALE

chests

Stunning French Apprentice Chest / Jewellery Chest

19th century

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Stunning French Apprentice Chest / Jewellery Chest

From Driscolls Antiques Ltd

£495

FOR SALE

chest of drawers

Brass Rimmed Tole Grocery Hopper with Inset Wine Bottle Holder

19th century

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Brass Rimmed Tole Grocery Hopper with Inset Wine Bottle Holder

From David Griffith Antiques

£435

FOR SALE

miscellaneous

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 Indian Teak Storage Chest

From Sinclairs Antiques and Interiors

£475

FOR SALE

chests

Superb Quality Regency Rosewood and Inlaid Brass Desk Stand or Inkstand

19th century

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Superb Quality Regency Rosewood and Inlaid Brass Desk Stand or Inkstand

From LVS Decorative Arts

£2,250

FOR SALE

miscellaneous

Gothic Revival Mahogany Despatch Box Pugin

19th century

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Gothic Revival Mahogany Despatch Box Pugin

From Prior and Willis

£1,396

FOR SALE

boxes

Antique Military Campaign Camphor Wood Trunk

19th century

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Antique Military Campaign Camphor Wood Trunk

From LTANTIQUES.CO.UK

£795

FOR SALE

chests

Antique Studded Zanzibar Chest, African, Carriage Trunk, Victorian, Circa 1850

19th century

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Antique Studded Zanzibar Chest, African, Carriage Trunk, Victorian, Circa 1850

From London Fine Antiques

£1,495

FOR SALE

chests

19th century

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19th Century Coromandel Writing Slope

From Martlesham Antiques

£980

FOR SALE

boxes

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19th Century Brass Box

Victorian Music Box Circa 1875. Musical Box, 8 Airs

Antique Travelling Vanity Case, English, Coromandel, Jewellery Box, Victorian

Drocourt French Grand Sonnerie Repeater Alarm Carriage Clock in the Box with Original Key

Camphor Wood Trunk

English Burr Walnut Domed Casket Trussell Brighton

A Fine Regency Rosewood Work Table

An English Copper and Brass Bellows Novelty Snuff Box, Early 19 Century

C19th Small Camphor Campaign Trunk

Stunning French Apprentice Chest / Jewellery Chest

Brass Rimmed Tole Grocery Hopper with Inset Wine Bottle Holder

19th-century Indian Teak Storage Chest

Superb Quality Regency Rosewood and Inlaid Brass Desk Stand or Inkstand

Gothic Revival Mahogany Despatch Box Pugin

Antique Military Campaign Camphor Wood Trunk

Antique Studded Zanzibar Chest, African, Carriage Trunk, Victorian, Circa 1850

19th Century Coromandel Writing Slope

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