Brass Bound Campaign Box

A large, brass bound mahogany Dressing Box.

This box is well made with brass short corner straps, two long straps and corner mounts to the top. The sides have campaign handles and the drawer to the front has a smaller flush handle. The straps and handles are all fixed with filed down brass screws. There is also an inset brass star to the top for engraving but left blank. The top has an old shrinkage split and although you can see a line it is stable.

The top section is lined in a smart red leather and fitted with 4 glass bottles with faceted shoulders and silver plate screw caps over a glass stopper to one side. The majority of the space is taken up by a lift out tray. The tray has ornate silver plate handles to lift it and is fitted with dividers and compartments to take a variety of tools, all of which are now missing. The tray also has a lidded compartment and a pad with a fitted tool belt which covers another compartment. To the back of the tray are 2 glass pots with silver plated lids. Below the lift out tray is a further plain storage space. The interior of the lid has a board covered in red velvet to cushion the contents of the tray etc. To the back of the board is a red leather open envelope with a gusset to expand it. Fixed to the inside of the lid is a second open envelope for papers etc.

To the base of the box is a drawer, also lined in red leather. Usually such drawers are locked by a single brass pin that can be removed once the lid is open. This drawer has two pins with brass lined holes to the lid edge to accommodate their heads when closed.

Aside from its large size, this box is good quality and would service an officer or traveller very well. He could fit everything he needed in it from his shaving brush, razors and cologne to important papers. It has a Bramah lock with a replaced key. Mid 19th Century.