Large Italian Box in Wood with Silver Lid 50’s

Italy, 1950s. This long table box belongs to the Italian tradition of desk silverware, where silver is set around precious woods. Its lid, edged with a silver border, bears several hallmarks engraved along the rim. The body is clad in a burr wood veneer, with brown and coppery grain scattered with small dark knots, of great refinement. The silver lid is entirely engine-turned with a fine criss-cross pattern that catches the light softly. A small diamond-shaped silver clasp holds it shut. On opening, the light wood interior has a removable tray and reveals the hinges and their screws. Good overall condition, on visual inspection: the silver has taken on a beautiful patina, with a few clouds of oxidation; the veneer is sound, and there is a small crack in the wood on the inner frame of the lid. In one spot the lid closes slightly less snugly, which is nothing serious. At 21 cm long, 9 cm wide and 4.5 cm high, it holds cigarettes, pens, cards or small jewellery, on a desk, a console or a bedside table.