Casket - Wood - Game box

Old walnut game box? Solid, hand-carved from solid walnut, attributed to a workshop in Southern Germany (Black Forest), late 19th – early 20th century, circa 1880–1910.

Rare salon box made of solid walnut, entirely hand-carved. The lid features a foliate motif in high relief, framing playing card emblems (heart, club, diamond, spade), a pattern echoed coherently across the entire piece. The sides and front are also carved, bearing witness to high-quality workshop craftsmanship aimed at a bourgeois clientele.

The interior is particularly remarkable and constitutes a notably rare element: it is compartmentalized and includes several small independent boxes intended for tokens, each finely hand-carved with a wood-grain-imitation décor and applied playing card emblems. This level of interior finishing far exceeds that of ordinary boxes of the period, which typically have simple compartments.

Solid construction, precise fittings, hand-beveled corners, original brass hinges. Beautiful, evenly aged patina, reflecting the age and careful use of the item. The whole is complete and functional.

Wood probably old walnut, fine, tight grain, perfectly suited to detailed carving.

Approximate dimensions: 26.5 × 17.5 × 6.5 cm.

A rare, high-quality salon game box, decorative yet functional, representative of the know-how of Southern German workshops at the end of the 19th century.

Photographs are an integral part of the description.

IMPORTANT: the lid has a visible deformation in the photos and the key is missing