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 5

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.

Nineteenth Century Coromandel Vanity Case Dressing Box Made by H Mitchell of 168 Oxford Street London

19th century

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Nineteenth Century Coromandel Vanity Case Dressing Box Made by H Mitchell of 168 Oxford Street London

From The Fine Art Fund

£1,450

FOR SALE

boxes

19th century

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Unusual 19th Century Brass Bound Mahogany Writing Box / Lectern

From Quiet Street Antiques of Bath

£875

FOR SALE

boxes

Antique Italian Large Capodimonte Porcelain Table Casket 19th C

19th century

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Antique Italian Large Capodimonte Porcelain Table Casket 19th C

From Regent Antiques

£1,250

FOR SALE

ceramics

Early Victorian Cooke's Drainage Level in Mahogany Case Retailed by L Casella & Co

19th century

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Early Victorian Cooke's Drainage Level in Mahogany Case Retailed by L Casella & Co

From Jason Clarke Antiques

£495

FOR SALE

miscellaneous

19th century

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19th Century Camphor Wood Trunk

From LTANTIQUES.CO.UK

£1,250

FOR SALE

chests

19th century

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19thc. Small Camphor Wood Chest

From Piers Pisani Ltd Antiques and Furniture

£495

FOR SALE

chests

Antique Coromandel Combination Scent Bottle/jewellery Casket Tantalus 19th C

19th century

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Antique Coromandel Combination Scent Bottle/jewellery Casket Tantalus 19th C

From Regent Antiques

£1,350

FOR SALE

glass

19th century

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A Lovely French 19th Century Ormolu Trinket/ Jewel Box

From Andrew Cox Antiques

£175

FOR SALE

boxes

19th C. Rajasthan Iron-banded Damchiya Dowry Chest Trunk with Rare Lock

19th century

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19th C. Rajasthan Iron-banded Damchiya Dowry Chest Trunk with Rare Lock

From The Real Wood Furniture Company

£3,163

FOR SALE

chests

19th century

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Nineteenth Century Walnut Cigar Humidor

From Gertrude Antiques

£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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Compact Compound Microscope in Case

From Hansord Antiques

£1,750

FOR SALE

miscellaneous

19th century

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Red Leather China Trade Trunk

From Millers Antiques

£850

FOR SALE

chests

Antique Georgian Rosewood Sarcophagus Tea Caddy Lion Mask Handles Lockable C1820

19th century

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Antique Georgian Rosewood Sarcophagus Tea Caddy Lion Mask Handles Lockable C1820

From Lincoln Restorations

£300

FOR SALE

boxes

Georgian Rosewood Campaign Writing Slope

18th century

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Georgian Rosewood Campaign Writing Slope

From Past to Present

£295

FOR SALE

boxes

19th century

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Antique 19th Century Chinese Rosewood Huanghuali Writing Box

From Colton Antiques

£2,400

FOR SALE

boxes

19th century

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19th C. Desktop Campaign Chest

From The Old Yard

£1,100

FOR SALE

furniture

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19th Century Brass Box

Nineteenth Century Coromandel Vanity Case Dressing Box Made by H Mitchell of 168 Oxford Street London

Unusual 19th Century Brass Bound Mahogany Writing Box / Lectern

Antique Italian Large Capodimonte Porcelain Table Casket 19th C

Early Victorian Cooke's Drainage Level in Mahogany Case Retailed by L Casella & Co

19th Century Camphor Wood Trunk

19thc. Small Camphor Wood Chest

Antique Coromandel Combination Scent Bottle/jewellery Casket Tantalus 19th C

A Lovely French 19th Century Ormolu Trinket/ Jewel Box

19th C. Rajasthan Iron-banded Damchiya Dowry Chest Trunk with Rare Lock

Nineteenth Century Walnut Cigar Humidor

Compact Compound Microscope in Case

Red Leather China Trade Trunk

Antique Georgian Rosewood Sarcophagus Tea Caddy Lion Mask Handles Lockable C1820

Georgian Rosewood Campaign Writing Slope

Antique 19th Century Chinese Rosewood Huanghuali Writing Box

19th C. Desktop Campaign Chest

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