William IV Boxes
WILLIAM IV STYLE
It was unexpected that, at the age of 64, William IV was crowned king of England. He had two older brothers, yet the death of Prince Frederick put him in line for the British throne when George IV died in 1830. His reign was brief, as he died on June 20, 1837, but it was a pivotal time of change, with parliamentary reform leading to the present-day constitutional monarchy. Antique William IV–style furniture reflects this period of transition, with forms that bridged the neoclassicism of the preceding Regency style and the more extravagant Victorian style that would follow.
Inspired by ancient Greece and Rome, William IV designs were often more imposing than Regency furniture and featured decorative attributes. There were sofas balanced on lion’s feet and tables with brass fittings. But furnishings of this period were largely marked by straight lines and subdued ornamentation compared to those of the George IV era. William IV had an unassuming way about him and was much more formal, whereas the ruler who preceded him was a king of extravagance. George IV had an affinity for French decor and was heavily invested in overhauling the private residences at Windsor Castle.
Carvings on William IV four-poster beds and cabinets included scrolling shapes, lotus leaves and acanthus, while popular pieces like tilt-top tables and upholstered seating on caster legs provided flexible interiors. Richly toned woods like mahogany and rosewood were used for sideboards, bedposts boasting reeded details and dining chairs with intricate chair backs and turned front legs.
William IV left no legitimate heirs, so his young niece, Victoria, became queen. She would lead an era of taste in which the innovations of the Industrial Revolution allowed for manufacturing showier furniture to fill elaborate interiors. With its comparatively refined forms and restrained designs, William IV style was a pause before a time of radical aesthetic change.
Find a collection of authentic William IV tables, armchairs, decorative objects and other 19th-century furniture and antiques on 1stDibs.
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Style: William IV
Georgian Rosewood Vanity Box
Located in Northampton, GB
Howell, James & Co Sterling Silver by Thomas Whitehead
From our Vanity Box collection, we are delighted to offer this Georgian Rosewood Vanity Box. The Vanity Box of rectangular sha...
Category
Early 19th Century English Antique William IV Boxes
Materials
Silver, Sterling Silver
Antique Georgian English Rosewood Jewellery Box by Edwards
Located in Northampton, GB
Rosewood Circa 1830
From our Jewellery Boxes collection, we are delighted to offer this Antique Rosewood Jewellery Box by Edwards, makers...
Category
Early 19th Century English Antique William IV Boxes
Materials
Brass
19th Century English Mahogany and Brass Campaign Chest, Small Scale
Located in Stamford, CT
19th century William IV period mahogany campaign box or small chest with brass mounts. An unusual size for this type of chest, quite handsome, and large enough to store a fair amount...
Category
Early 19th Century English Antique William IV Boxes
Materials
Brass
Victorian Antique Sterling Silver Snuff Box, Birmingham 1836, Engraved
Located in London, London
Hallmarked in Birmingham in 1836 by Edwin Jones, this handsome, Antique Sterling Silver Snuff Box, features a cast and applied border to the lid, engine turn...
Category
1830s English Antique William IV Boxes
Materials
Sterling Silver
William IV Sarcophagus Jewelry Box in Rosewood
Located in Whaley Bridge, GB
K0123, stunning William IV rosewood work box / jewelry box, having quadrant beading ad mother of pearl inlaid to the front and to the hinged top which opens to reveal relined interio...
Category
1840s English Antique William IV Boxes
Materials
Rosewood
Georgian Scottish Mahogany Jewellery Box
Located in Northampton, GB
Brass Bound Rosewood Frame
From our Jewellery Box collection, we are delighted to offer this Georgian Scottish Mahogany Jewellery Box. The Jewellery Box of rectangular form crafted from features multiple brass mounts to the corners with two parallel brass straps from the front to the back. The top centre of the Jewellery Box features a stylised vacant brass initial plaque. The interior of the box contains its original red Georgian lining with drop down documents storage within the inside of the lid hiding the original makers label for J Johnston...
Category
Early 19th Century Scottish Antique William IV Boxes
Materials
Brass
Georgian Brass Bound Mahogany Jewelry Watch Box
Located in Northampton, GB
Racing Green Cushioned Velvet Lining
The Box of rectangular form crafted from Mahogany features triple brass bounding around the perimeter of the box with further brass strapping fr...
Category
Early 19th Century English Antique William IV Boxes
Materials
Wood
Rare Georgian Engine Turned Sewing Box
Located in Northampton, GB
Rare Engine Turned Design
The Sewing Box of slight sarcophagus shape stood upon four turned ribbed feet. The Sewing Box tapers up to the convex raised lid and features scrolling fl...
Category
Early 19th Century English Antique William IV Boxes
Materials
Brass
Georgian Glass Tea Caddy
Located in Northampton, GB
The Tea Caddy of slight oval shape with diamond quit cut canted corners, an engraved monogram to the body reading MAAF and a radial cut stopper. The Tea Caddy dates to the late Georg...
Category
Early 19th Century English Antique William IV Boxes
Materials
Glass, Cut Glass
Quality Antique Willian IV Rosewood Tea Caddy
Located in Ipswich, GB
Quality antique 19th Century William IV rosewood tea caddy, having a quality shaped rosewood top opening to reveal a fitted interior of a glass tea mixing bowl and a tea lidded compa...
Category
Early 19th Century Antique William IV Boxes
Materials
Rosewood
Rare William IV period sterling silver lockable box made in London in 1831
Located in London, London
Hallmarked in London in 1831 by Charles Reily & George Storer, this very handsome, Antique, William IV period, Sterling Silver Box, is plain in design, with reed borders, and an engr...
Category
1830s English Antique William IV Boxes
Materials
Sterling Silver
William IV Pocket Nutmeg Grater Made in Birmingham by Joseph Willmore, 1836
Located in London, GB
A Very Fine William IV Pocket Nutmeg Grater Made in Birmingham in 1836 by Joseph Willmore.
The Nutmeg Grater is of a large size, with reeded rounded sides. The hinged cover is engra...
Category
19th Century British Antique William IV Boxes
19th Century Burr Walnut Double Hinged Writing Slope with Brass Edges and Inlay
Located in Chapel Hill, NC
Brass bound and inlaid burled walnut travel desk of large size and with double hinges. The first section lifts to a vertical position with document storage in the lid, the second sec...
Category
Early 19th Century English Antique William IV Boxes
Materials
Brass
Antique Teapoy English William iv Rosewood Work Box, 19th Century, circa 1835
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is an antique teapoy, an English, William IV, rosewood work box dating to the early 19th century, circa 1835.
Superb color in the polished rosew...
Category
Early 19th Century English Antique William IV Boxes
Materials
Rosewood
A Sarcophagal Tunbridge Ware Sewing Box with Isometric Cube Design, c1835
Located in Tunbridge Wells, GB
A Sarcophagal Tunbridge Ware Sewing Box with Isometric Cube Design, c1835
Additional Information:
Heading: Tunbridge Ware - A Sarcophagal Se...
Category
19th Century English Antique William IV Boxes
Materials
Rosewood
Tunbridge Ware - An Early Writing Slope with Geometric Designs, c1835
Located in Tunbridge Wells, GB
Tunbridge Ware - An Early Writing Slope with Geometric Designs, c1835
Additional Information:
Heading: Tunbridge Ware - An Early Writing Slope with Geometric Designs
Date : c1835
...
Category
19th Century English Antique William IV Boxes
Materials
Rosewood
English Burl Walnut & Figural Cherub Wedgewood Letter Box with Mounts, C. 1850
Located in Charleston, SC
English Burl walnut and figural cherub wedge-wood hinged letter box with compartmentalized fitted interior, locking mechanism with key, decorative circular rope motif, and original e...
Category
1850s English Antique William IV Boxes
Materials
Brass
English William IV Stickware Tunbridge & Rosewood Stationery Box c.1835
Located in Bath, GB
A handsome piece of early Tunbridge Ware dating to around 1835, William IV in era.
Made from wood this small stationery box is decorated with intricate Tunbridge Stickware inlay.
The interior has been professionally re-lined in a handsome hand-marbled paper; the size of the interior would suit...
Category
1830s British Antique William IV Boxes
Materials
Wood
Antique Georgian Tunbridge Ware Sewing Box
Located in Northampton, GB
With a Fitted Sewing Box Interior
From our Tunbridge Ware collection, we are delighted to offer this Tunbridge Ware Sewing Box. The Rosewood box of rectangular form extensively inla...
Category
Mid-19th Century English Antique William IV Boxes
Materials
Wood
Scottish Mauchline Ware Tea Caddy attributed to Smiths
Located in Northampton, GB
Scottish Mauchline Ware
From our Tea Caddy collection, we are delighted to offer this rare Mauchline Ware Tea Caddy. The Tea Caddy of rectangular form extensively decorated with a repeating pinstripe pattern throughout the entire exterior of the Tea Caddy upon a Sycamore carcass. The decoration features a striped effect with alternating classical scrollwork, linked chain and pin striped vertical line transfers in shades of gold, green and red. A shield-shaped escutcheon finishes the exterior of the Caddy. When opened the Tea Caddy reveals a single Caddy compartment with traces of the original foil lining and the Caddy the original full length wooden Cumnock Hinge. The Tea Caddy dates to the late Georgian Period during the reign of George IV Circa 1830. The Tea Caddy is a rare example of early Mauchline Ware especially because of the Type of decoration used and extremely good condition, a superb addition to any collection. We firmly attribute the Tea Caddy to renowned Scottish Mauchline Ware makers Smiths from the extremely close similarities between this Caddy and a previous one in our archives signed by Smiths.
The Tea Caddy comes complete with working lock and tasselled key.
Mauchline Ware was the production of Scottish white-wood products, it was mainly manufactured from the 1820s until 1939. The production of souvenir woodware for the tourist market began in the 1790s with the snuff box industry in Ayrshire. By 1820, Mauchline ware was well established, supplying souvenirs from wood grown ‘on the Field of Bannockburn’, ‘on the Abbey Craig’, ‘on the slopes of Stirling Castle’ and made into sewing requisites, egg cups, trinket boxes and many other kinds of souvenirs, transfer printed with a line drawing of the place. The firm Smith’s who regarded as the the leading and most renowned manufacturer of Mauchline War among a few lesser known and shorter lived companies. They ranged from the basic transfer as on small vases to boxes and smaller household accessories...
Category
Early 19th Century Scottish Antique William IV Boxes
Materials
Sycamore
Nathaniel Mills Antique Sterling Silver Vinaigrette
Located in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon Tyne
An exceptional, fine and impressive antique William IV English sterling silver castle top vinaigrette depicting Newstead Abbey; an addition to our collectable box collection.
This exceptional antique William IV silver vinaigrette has a rectangular form with rounded corners.
The cover of this fine Nathaniel Mills vinaigrette is embellished with a scene of Newstead Abbey in high relief.
The sides and the underside of the box are ornamented with panels of engine turned decoration, accented with an impressive elongated applied thumb piece ornamented with leaf and bud designs.
The decoration to the underside incorporates a rectangular vacant cartouche.
Both the base and cover are embellished with applied moulded borders.
The hinged silver vinaigrette cover allows access to the original hallmarked hinged, pierced decorated silver gilt grille.
The vinaigrette retains the original gilding to the surface and interior.
A former Augustinian priory which is known as the ancestral home of Lord Byron. This Abbey, situated in Nottinghamshire, is now publicly owned by the local Council and houses a museum displaying a tribute to Byron memorabilia.
Condition
This antique Nathaniel Mills vinaigrette is a superior gauge of silver, exceptional quality and in exceptional presentation condition.
The decoration is very sharp and very crisp.
The original gilding is in exceptional condition, in keeping with age.
There is some discoloration to the interior of the grille, in keeping with age.
Full hallmarks struck to the interior are all very clear; the nature of this piece dictates the location of the part hallmarks to the underside of the grille, resulting in the maker's mark and lion passant being partially visible.
Reflections in photographs may detract from this fine example of antique silverware.
Dimensions:
Length 4.2 cm / 1.7"
Width 2.7 cm / 1.1"
Height 0.9 cm / 0.4"
Weight
1 troy ounce / 30.2 g
Maker: Nathanial Mills...
Category
1830s British Antique William IV Boxes
Materials
Silver, Sterling Silver
19th Century William IV Fruitwood Teapoy
Located in Dublin 8, IE
19th century William IV Fruitwood Teapoy with rectangular caddy top above lotus carved body on slender pod over finely carved base
Category
1830s Irish Antique William IV Boxes
Materials
Fruitwood
19th Century English William IV Rosewood Tea Poy
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
For sale is a good quality William IV rosewood tea poy, opening to a fitted interior retain its original glass bowls, above a turned stem over a platform base,...
Category
Early 19th Century English Antique William IV Boxes
Materials
Rosewood
19th Century Mahogany Bottle Holder
Located in Dublin 8, IE
19th Century English mahogany bottle holder in the Georgian style with six compartment each with shaped solid side and central handle.
Category
1830s Irish Antique William IV Boxes
William IV Mahogany Tea Caddy in the Form of a Pedestal Sideboard
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
An unusual William IV mahogany tea caddy in the form of a pedestal sideboard with a hinged lid opening to reveal a central well for a mixing bowl (now missing) flanked by two removab...
Category
1830s English Antique William IV Boxes
Materials
Mahogany
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This fine and rare example of an early 19th-century British gentleman's calling card case is beautifully veneered in pale shimmering mother of pearl, and delicately hand-engraved to ...
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Thomas Diller Glass Trinket Box with Gilt Sterling SIlver Cover, 1837
By Thomas Diller
Located in Tunbridge Wells, GB
Thomas Diller Glass Trinket Box with Gilt Sterling SIlver Cover, 1837
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William Iv boxes for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique William IV boxes for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 19th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage boxes created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include decorative objects, serveware, ceramics, silver and glass, case pieces and storage cabinets and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, metal and other materials. If you’re shopping for used William IV boxes made in a specific country, there are Europe, United Kingdom, and England pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original boxes, popular names associated with this style include and Howell James & Co.. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for boxes differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $300 and tops out at $6,731 while the average work can sell for $2,106.