Antique Boxes, Tea Caddies, & Society: 1700-1880 (Schiffer Book for Collectors with Price Guide) [Hardcover]

Antigone Clarke (Author), Joseph O'Kelly (Author)

Book Description

Series: Schiffer Book for Collectors with Price Guide | Publication Date: March 2003

The box represents great temptation. "Open me" it says. The human cannot resist it; its charm is overwhelming. So too, is the charm of this remarkable book, in which antique boxes and tea caddies - along with the people who inspired, made, and used them - dance gracefully through the pages. The reader is guided through the aesthetic, cultural, and social influences of the years covered, accumulating a deep understanding of the form, decoration, and purpose of eighteenth and nineteenth century boxes. The extensive text covers wooden, tortoiseshell, ivory, papier m*^ach*/e, and lacquer boxes. There are chapters on Anglo Indian, Scottish, Irish, Penwork, Straw work, and Tunbridge ware boxes, as well as on boxes made for special purposes. Captions include complete descriptions, values, and circa dates for all boxes shown. The 905 images include original drawings, magnificent photographs of complete pieces, and close-ups illustrating the structure and decoration of boxes. This is an indispensable companion for box collectors and reflects fascinating information about cultural forces that shaped the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Antique Boxes, Tea Caddies, & Society 1700-1880
Antigone Clarke & Joseph O'Kelly

The box represents great temptation. "Open me" it says. The human cannot resist it; its charm is overwhelming. So too, is the charm of this remarkable book, in which antique boxes and tea caddies --- along with the people who inspired, made, and used them --- dance gracefully through the pages. The reader is guided through the aesthetic, cultural, and social influences of the years covered, accumulating a deep understanding of the form, decoration, and purpose of eighteenth and nineteenth century boxes. The extensive text covers wooden, tortoiseshell, ivory, papier-mâché, and lacquer boxes. There are chapters on Anglo Indian, Scottish, Irish, Penwork, Straw work, and Tunbridge ware boxes, as well as on boxes made for special purposes. Captions include complete descriptions, values, and circa dates for all boxes shown. The 905 images include original drawings, magnificent photographs of complete pieces, and close-ups illustrating the structure and decoration of boxes. This is an indispensable companion for box collectors and reflects fascinating information about cultural forces that shaped the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

About the Author

Joseph and Antigone live in an old part of London, close to the heart of traditional cabinet making. There is a wealth of material relating to their chosen fields, in libraries, museums, and homes easily accessible to them.

Joseph has a passion in nurturing old string instruments back to health and has carried out conservation projects photographing the work in progress.

Antigone has been dealing in boxes for nearly thirty years, delving into their history and finding them appreciative homes. Too busy sourcing boxes, she leaves the running of the house to the cats. They may be contacted at [e-mail].

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Schiffer Publishing (March 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764316885
• ISBN-13: 978-0764316883
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 9.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #419,991 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Boxes: Touching the Past, June 21, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Antique Boxes, Tea Caddies, & Society: 1700-1880 (Schiffer Book for Collectors with Price Guide) (Hardcover)

Anyone who's ever touched a small box or tea caddy or folding writing desk from several hundred years ago knows the thrill of holding that object, one used by ancient sets of hands. Or maybe it's the thrill of seeing rare and ancient woods -- amboina or coromandel or burled yew or satinwood -- up close. Whatever leads you to boxes, lead yourself to this book. The pictures are gorgeous, but even better is the precision of the social history which surrounds them, whether it's the intricacies of the tea-opium trade, or the influence of the penny post, or the Prince Regent's taste. Many books I've seen before -- small "Shire" studies of writing antiquities, for example -- are good but small, and almost impossible to find in the States except at occasional antique shows. This is both scholarly in its documentation and readable, even enjoyable, in the portrait of Britain it unfolds. And the pictures are a refreshing change from the blurry amateurism that marks too many specialized "guides." Pricey but worth it.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Novice and Expert alike, October 8, 2003

By 

Joseph E. Meredith (Philadelphia, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Antique Boxes, Tea Caddies, & Society: 1700-1880 (Schiffer Book for Collectors with Price Guide) (Hardcover)

One does not have to be an expert to love this book. It is a treasure trove of information on all kinds of English boxes from the 18th to the early 20th centuries. Packed with photographs and intelligent text, it is simply the best, most informative, most comprehensive book on the subject. It's easy to tell the writers are not only experts with vast experience but lovers of these boxes too.
I'm particularly interested in writing boxes, and I could wish for more chapters on these, but that is purely out of a sense of greed. The whole book is fascinating, whether one is browsing or studying. Thanks.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A BOOK BEGGING TO BE OPENED!, May 6, 2003

By 

C. Kirschke (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Antique Boxes, Tea Caddies, & Society: 1700-1880 (Schiffer Book for Collectors with Price Guide) (Hardcover)

Like a box begs to be opened, so does this book!

The history of antique boxes is finally told in a comprehensive way with wonderful photos of quality boxes and details of the contemporary events and fashions that influenced their design and construction.

Whether you are a collector or not, this book will captivate you as it takes you back to a time when the box was as necessary in society as today's computer. The box is now a time piece that represents the artistic flair and superb craftsmanship prevalent in the 18th and 19th centuries. This book gives antique boxes the admiration they deserve!