What is a carved mahogany wine box used for?

These pieces served as portable cellars in grand dining rooms, where servants kept wine bottles chilled in ice or stored under lock and key. Today, collectors use them as decorative floor-standing containers, side tables, or repository chests for household items.

How do I identify a Regency wine box?

Regency examples typically adopt a sarcophagus silhouette with classical motifs such as paw feet, brass drop handles, and bold mouldings. They rely on dense mahogany timbers and often incorporate lead or zinc interiors designed to hold ice for cooling bottles.

Where should I place a wine box at home?

Their substantial proportions suit placement beside a dining table, in a hallway, or beneath a window as a freestanding accent. Because many feature flat or slightly domed lids, they can also function as low display surfaces for books or decorative objects.

Did these boxes always have metal linings?

Many period examples contain lead, zinc, or metal liners to hold water and ice safely without rotting the timber. Some interiors were divided into separate compartments or bottle slots to keep vintages organised during cooling.