One of a Kind — 1 Available
Ebonized Compartmented Collector's Box, Hand-Painted Gold Dragonflies, c. Mid-20th Century
Viridian Eclection
$234.00
Era
Jewelry Box
Material
See description
Condition
Excellent Vintage
Provenance
Documented
Professional Packing
Foam, crating & fragile handling
Condition Guaranteed
Documented & photographed
Private Viewings
Reno, NV & free white-glove within 100 mi
Antique Shipping Policy
All antique and vintage items are sold as described. We professionally pack every piece with museum-grade foam, layered boxing, and fragile handling instruction labels. Once in carrier hands, liability transfers to the carrier. Shipping damage claims must be filed with the carrier directly. All sales are final. Questions about a piece before purchasing?
The Piece A striking lidded box in ebonized black, hand-painted at each corner with a gold dragonfly in flight and finished with brass corner brackets, a brass latch, and a slim support chain that ...
Condition
Excellent Vintage
Dimensions
Era
Jewelry Box
Availability
One of a Kind — 1 Available
The Piece
A striking lidded box in ebonized black, hand-painted at each corner with a gold dragonfly in flight and finished with brass corner brackets, a brass latch, and a slim support chain that holds the lid open. Lift the lid and the interior reveals its purpose: a fitted tray divided into a grid of small compartments — made to sort and hold small treasures, whether loose-leaf teas, spices, jewelry, coins, crystals, or collected curiosities. The black surface carries the honest scuffs and rubbing of a well-handled object, its gold dragonflies still catching the light.
Tucked inside the lid is a handwritten note from a previous owner recording its story: "Handmade by [an] 89-year-old English Lord." Unverified, but the kind of romance that clings to a genuinely handmade thing — and part of what you're taking home with it.
History & Provenance
The dragonfly — a favorite of Art Nouveau and Japonisme designers alike — carried associations of transformation and fleeting summer light, and here it's rendered by hand rather than stamped by a factory. Everything about the box speaks to individual craft: the brushed gold motifs, the hand-fitted compartment tray, the brass fittings chosen and set one at a time. Whether or not it was truly the work of an elderly English gentleman, as its note insists, it belongs to the long tradition of the handmade keepsake box — an object made slowly, to be kept and passed on.
Product Details
| Object | Lidded compartmented box (collector's / tea / keepsake box) |
| Decoration | Hand-painted gold dragonflies on an ebonized black ground |
| Interior | Fitted tray with grid of small compartments |
| Hardware | Brass corner brackets, latch, and lid support chain |
| Material | Lacquered / ebonized wood |
| Era | Circa mid-20th century |
| Condition | Honest wear — surface scuffs and rubbing consistent with age and use; sound and functional. Condition Guaranteed. |
| Provenance | Accompanied by a prior owner's handwritten note describing it as handmade |
| Availability | One of a Kind — 1 Available |
Why It Belongs in Your Home
A box with a story and a job. Use it to organize loose teas or spices in the kitchen, corral jewelry and cufflinks on a dresser, or hold a collection of small treasures on a shelf or desk. The black-and-gold palette reads dramatic against wood, brass, or a moody painted wall, and the hand-painted dragonflies give it the soul of something made by a person, not a machine — exactly the kind of piece that makes a room feel collected, not decorated.
Inquire About This Piece · Request a Private Viewing
Meta description:
Every piece is packed with professional-grade materials: multiple foam layers, double-boxing, directional and fragile handling labels. For large furniture we use custom timber crating. We photograph packing before dispatch and can provide images on request.
White-glove delivery is complimentary within 100 miles of Reno, NV. National shipping quotes provided at checkout. All shipments are photographed and documented. Damage claims must be filed with the carrier; we provide all documentation needed to support your claim.
Local pickup is available at Viridian HQ (Reno, NV) with 2–4 days notice. Contact us to arrange. Private viewings also available.
All antique and vintage items are sold as described and all sales are final. Each listing includes detailed condition notes and photographs so you can make a fully informed decision. We encourage buyers to ask questions — about condition, dimensions, finish, provenance — before purchasing.
Antiques are irreplaceable and one-of-a-kind. Carrier handling is outside our control once a piece has left our facility, and major carriers including FedEx do not insure antiques. We do everything within our power to ensure safe transit, but cannot accept liability for carrier damage. If damage occurs in transit, we will provide full documentation to support your carrier claim.
Have a question? — we're happy to provide additional photos, condition detail, or discuss the piece directly.
Antique
Verified Era
Authenticated period piece
6
Photo6
Full condition documentation & detail shots
Excellent
Condition
Professionally assessed & photographed
1 of 1
Available
One of a kind — this exact piece, never restocked
All Sales
Final
Questions before buying?
