Tunbridge Geometric Parquetry Box

Three tones of wood, honey, walnut, near-black, bundled into rods, sliced thin, and laid across every face of the box until the surface reads as stacked cubes. The tumbling block illusion holds from every angle. The lid carries a quieter central panel, the same diamond field compressed into a border around it. Brass hinges at the rear, a small brass escutcheon at the front, taupe fabric lining inside. 

The Tunbridge ware tradition, centered around the English spa town of Tunbridge Wells through the 19th century, was built on exactly this kind of precision: the mosaic assembled rod by rod before a single slice was taken, each piece a small feat of patience.

Style: Victorian
Materials & Techniques: Mixed wood parquetry, ebonized wood accents, brass hardware, fabric lining
Place of Origin: likely England
Period: 19th C.