Fine Coromandel Game Box c1850
Directory: Antiques: Furnishings: Accessories: Boxes: Pre 1900: Item # 1213220
Please refer to our stock # b1010 when inquiring.
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A playing card game box of coromandel wood, with mother-of-pearl plaque on the top and keyhole escutcheon. The interior has a silk lined lid, and is divided into 5 sections, three of which contain 5 or 6 old decks of playing cards made by the Goodall Company, one section containing 4 Bezique registers made by Goodall, 4 whist markers made by De La Rue & Co., and a small booklet on how to play Bezique. The fifth section has two scoring pegs and an old newspaper article on playing Bezique.
The box is in overall excellent condition and retains its original key. The contents appear to all be 19th century. The dimensions are 10 7/8" length, 6 3/4" depth, and 3 1/8" height.
Note: Coromandel wood, also known as calamander wood, was, during the reign of Queen Victoria, one of the most exotic and expensive woods to work with. It was the veneer of choice for the finest and most luxurious boxes. It came from India and South East Asia and was an incredibly dense, close-grained wood. Though part of the ebony family, it was, visually, a much more vibrant and figured variety. The actual species of coromandel became virtually extinct by the beginning of the 20th century.