Escutcheons
Escutcheons are usually shaped plates, often made from brass, that can either surround a keyhole or be inlaid into the top of the lid. Not only were they used as a form of decoration, they were sometimes also personalised by engraving them with the owner’s names, crests or initials.
Central brass escutcheon, fretworked and engraved with a foliate and scrollwork design, from a French antique jewellery box in ebony by Alphonse Giroux & Cie, Paris.
French Antique Jewellery Box in Ebony with Brass Inlay by Alphonse Giroux & Cie, Paris.
Decorative brass escutcheon from a French mahogany jewellery box.
French Mahogany Antique Jewellery Box with Brass Inlay.
Brass escutcheon bearing the engraved name ‘Lady Shelley’ from a mahogany antique jewellery box.
Mahogany Antique Box with Brass Edging.
Antique Jewellery Box in Coromandel with Cantilever Mechanism.