Vintage Wooden Box with Brass Inlay, 1930s — Brass-Trimmed Trinket Box

Cutting a shape into solid brass and setting it flush into wood is a technique with real history behind it — inlay work like this traces back through centuries of box- and furniture-making, refined in the 17th century by craftsmen like André-Charles Boulle, who paired brass with contrasting materials to get an effect no wood veneer alone could achieve. By the time this box was made in the 1930s, brass inlay had become a more restrained gesture: not an entire surface covered in metal, but a single motif set with precision into an otherwise plain wooden field.

That's exactly the approach here. A diamond-shaped brass inlay sits centered on the lid, with brass trim reinforcing the corners and edges of the box itself — geometric and understated, in keeping with the cleaner lines that took over from more ornate Victorian brasswork by the 1930s. The wood shows a visible grain running through the lid and sides, warm reddish-brown in tone, with the brass fittings providing the only contrast.

The corner brass and lid inlay have held their position and shape well, with wear reading as the honest handling of decades rather than damage. Empty and unlined inside, it suits small jewelry, keepsakes, or anything else that benefits from a lid rather than an open dish.

It arrives professionally packed and fully insured — we handle the paperwork and worldwide shipping. Returns are accepted within 30 days.

Details
Materials: wood, brass inlay and trim
Dimensions: width 17.5 cm (6.9 in), depth 12 cm (4.7 in), height 7 cm (2.75 in)
Condition: good vintage condition, wear consistent with age

Condition details available on request.

Electrical details available on request.

Shipping details available on request.

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Provenance details available on request.