19th C Napoleon III Boulle Style Games Box with Key and Original Games Pieces
19th C Napoleon III Boulle Style Games Box with Key and Original Games Pieces
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19th C Napoleon III, Boulle Style Ebonized Wood Games Box with Working Key. The Games Box includes its original bone betting chips and dice.
19th C Napoleon III, Boulle Style Ebonized Wood Games Box with Working Key. The Games Box includes its original bone betting chips and dice.
12"w x 9"d x 2.5"h
12"w x 9"d x 2.5"h
A fine example of luxury craftsmanship from the mid-to-late 19th century, these elegant boxes, designed for storing chess, backgammon, cards, and other parlor games, were highly fashionable among the French aristocracy and bourgeoisie.
The Napoleon III Era (1852–1870; also called the Second Empire) was known for its opulence, revival of classical styles, and appreciation for fine craftsmanship. The emperor’s court and upper-class households sought lavish decorative objects, leading to a resurgence of Boulle marquetry, originally developed in the 17th century by André-Charles Boulle (1642–1732), cabinetmaker to Louis XIV.
These boxes were designed to be both functional and a display of wealth, often showcased in elegant parlors where guests engaged in social gaming.
A Napoleon III Boulle-style games box with its original key and pieces is highly collectible, especially if it retains its original marquetry, fittings, and gaming accessories. Such boxes were luxury items, often custom-made for aristocrats and high-society families.
A fine example of luxury craftsmanship from the mid-to-late 19th century, these elegant boxes, designed for storing chess, backgammon, cards, and other parlor games, were highly fashionable among the French aristocracy and bourgeoisie.
The Napoleon III Era (1852–1870; also called the Second Empire) was known for its opulence, revival of classical styles, and appreciation for fine craftsmanship. The emperor’s court and upper-class households sought lavish decorative objects, leading to a resurgence of Boulle marquetry, originally developed in the 17th century by André-Charles Boulle (1642–1732), cabinetmaker to Louis XIV.
These boxes were designed to be both functional and a display of wealth, often showcased in elegant parlors where guests engaged in social gaming.
A Napoleon III Boulle-style games box with its original key and pieces is highly collectible, especially if it retains its original marquetry, fittings, and gaming accessories. Such boxes were luxury items, often custom-made for aristocrats and high-society families.
19th Century / Napoleon III
19th Century / Napoleon III
Wood, Brass, Faux Tortoiseshell, Bone, Linen
Wood, Brass, Faux Tortoiseshell, Bone, Linen
France
France
Some overall wear and light scuffing to the wood, as expected with age.
Interior compartments are missing some wood dividers (included one piece within the box for restoration if wanted).
Some overall wear and light scuffing to the wood, as expected with age.
Interior compartments are missing some wood dividers (included one piece within the box for restoration if wanted).