Jewellery box - Rosewood

Antique wooden jewelry box with Portuguese silver applications - Javali Brand. Elegant antique jewelry box, rectangular in shape, made of dark-toned wood, enriched with numerous ornamental applications in Portuguese silver, bearing the contrast mark “Javali.” The lid is richly decorated with four large corner applications, worked in relief with roses, flowers, leaves, and vegetal scrolls. In the center there is an elaborate silver appliqué with a stylized ornamental design, featuring geometric and vegetal elements. The whole is framed by a carved wooden surround, giving the piece a particularly rich presentation. The metal applications bear punches compatible with Portuguese “contraste” (contrast mark) of Javali, a mark used in Portugal from the late 19th century to the early decades of the 20th century, placing the piece roughly between 1887 and 1937. The interior is lined with red fabric, including a padded base and pleated sides, designed to hold jewelry or small personal items. The box preserves an interesting combination of worked wood, silver, and textile lining, characteristic of decorative and toilette objects produced between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Condition: signs of use and age compatible with its age. The interior fabric shows wear, stains, and small deteriorations. The inner face of the lid is scratched. One of the lid hinge pieces/side components is still missing, so the lid is loose and separable from the box, a situation clearly documented in the photographs. The wood and the applications also show small marks, scratches, oxidation, and surface wear from use. Dimensions: 4.5 cm (height) × 17 cm (width) × 11 cm (depth).

Materials: wood, Portuguese silver applications and textile lining.
Contrast: Javali.
Probable period: late 19th century / early decades of the 20th century, c. 1887–1937.
Origin: Portugal.
Condition: fair for an antique, with the defects and wear described above and visible in the photographs.