During the Regency period it was very much the height of opulence to inlay delicately shaped pieces of brass design into wood.
Inspired from the French Napoleonic style, this art form was only attained by the most skilled and patient craftsman. Not only would the brass itself have to be carefully hand fretted and filed into ornate and fluid designs, it would then have to be precisely inlaid into the wood without fault. The richer coloured woods like Mahogany, Rosewood, Kingwood and Coromandel were often favoured for use with brass inlay work as these combinations really emphasised and contrasted each other with great effect.
As Victorian styles began to change, the use of inlaid brass was more often reserved for personalising boxes with decorative monograms and escutcheons, rather than overall box decoration.
Engraved floral, foliate and scrollwork design brass inlay on an antique jewellery box in coromandel.
Magnificent Antique Jewellery Box in Coromandel with Engraved Brass Inlay and Concealed Drawer.
An inlaid and engraved brass design consisting of scrollwork, foliation, bees and bee skeps (beehives) from an antique jewellery box in rosewood.
Antique Jewellery Box in Rosewood with Engraved Brass Inlay.
Brass inlay design depicting grapevines from a French antique jewellery box by Aucoc.
French Antique Jewellery Box in Rosewood with Grapevine Brass Inlay, by Aucoc.
Geometric and floral brass inlay from an antique jewellery box in rosewood.
Antique Jewellery Box in Rosewood with Foliate Brass Inlay, Attributed to Edwards.
Yellow and rose brass foliate and scrollwork inlay from a French antique jewellery box in ebony. Yellow brass (standard brass) contains about 67-70% copper whilst rose brass contains about 85% copper hence the pinkish appearance.
French Antique Jewellery Box in Ebony with Yellow & Rose Brass Inlay.
Greek key design brass inlay from an antique jewellery box in kingwood by Wells & Lambe.
Antique Jewellery Box in Kingwood, by Wells & Lambe.
Brass inlay on an antique kingwood jewellery box.
Foliate Brass Inlay on an Antique Kingwood Jewellery Box.
Inlaid and engraved brass monogram and coronet from an antique jewellery box in coromandel by Leuchars.
Antique Jewellery Box in Coromandel by Leuchars.
Foliate brass inlay from an antique rosewood jewellery cabinet.
Antique Jewellery Cabinet in Rosewood with Foliate Brass Inlay and Ten Drawers.
Engraved foliate brass escutcheon from a French antique jewellery box in ebony with brass inlay by Alphonse Giroux & Cie, Paris.
French Antique Jewellery Box in Ebony with Brass Inlay by Alphonse Giroux & Cie, Paris.
Inlaid and engraved foliate brass designs on an antique jewellery box in rosewood.
Antique Jewellery Box in Rosewood with Foliate Brass Inlay.
Inlaid foliate brass designs on an antique jewellery box in rosewood by Austin of Dublin.
Antique Jewellery Box in Rosewood with Foliate Brass Inlay, by Austin of Dublin.
Inlaid foliate brass designs on an antique jewellery box in rosewood, by Charles Essex.
Antique Jewellery Box in Rosewood with Foliate Brass Inlay, by Charles Essex.