Antique Moroccan Silver-clad Wedding Box

Reserved for Cynthia.

It happens more and more, as these items keep coming to my attention... a complete blank, with regards to history, manufacturer or even country of origin. It's incredibly frustrating when I'm unable to uncover these basic facts, regarding an artifact, but those are the ropes - sometimes, we just don't know. I can, however, give you the details about this potentially very rare piece of cultural history and together, we can muddle our way through the facts to clarify the origins of this beautiful piece of the past.

Firstly, I had to identify, concretely, the materials used for the construction. All the metal you see on the exterior is actually silver. It's not Sterling, or anything (it tested positive at about 60% silver), but I was baffled to have stumbled across this precious metal adorning what I had assumed was simply a tourist piece. I knew then, that this was not just a trinket or souvenir - it truly is a special box. The body is made of wood and is constructed very soundly. The bottom and interior is lined with hand-cut felt (or similar material) and save for some fluff and slight dirtiness, the interior is in excellent condition. The base felt is in good shape, but slightly more worn (it has been sitting on that fabric for the better part of a century, after all). In places, you can see it has been inlayed with semi-precious stones. Identifying these stones, I knew, would be paramount for proper identification. They are raw and roughly cut, and as such, the colours vary from a cloudy orange to a deep, clear maroon and even a few green stones. My best educated guess is that these are a mixture of Garnet and Jasper, but I'm given to believe the majority of the stones are actually Carnelian. Upon identifying these stones and searching for various examples of their use, I came across the tradition of Moroccan Wedding Jewelry Boxes - finally, the origin of this stunning box! According to tradition, Carnelian restores vitality and motivation, it give courage and promotes positive life choices - the perfect spirit in which to gift such a beautiful box for a loved-ones nuptials. Carnelian was popular even in ancient Egypt, as many pieces of royal jewelry have been found to contain this particular gemstone. As such, it is, in my educated opinion, the ideal candidate for these stones. Amazingly, and incredibly rarely for truly antique Moroccan Wedding Boxes, all the stones are present and accounted for! The wood looks to have been coated with a resin of some sort, prior to the application of the silver adornments and is still in excellent condition.
These boxes are cherished and kept for life, and would be used to store one's most treasured possessions. It is truly a spectacular piece and holds true to centuries-old traditions of the North African continent.

It would make a truly spectacular gift or addition to your own collection of exotic pieces. As always, I'm happy to respond to queries and comments almost immediately, so don't be shy!

Thank you for visiting C&K!