Napoleon III Wedding Chest With Engraved Glass And Gilded Metal, Featuring A Bridal Crown; 19th-century Box

An elegant French wedding box from the second half of the 19th century, made of engraved glass with a gilded metal frame, still containing the bride’s crown inside.

Square in shape with beveled corners, the box rests on small, ornate feet topped with foliage motifs. Its ornate frame features serrated moldings, beaded fillets, and decorative elements in relief, in the style of toiletries cases and presentation boxes from the Napoleonic III era.

The sides consist of panels of clear glass, several of which are engraved with flowers, foliage, and delicate plant motifs. The corners feature vertical panels framed by neo-Gothic motifs and foliage-adorned cartouches. The lid, also made of engraved glass, allows the contents of the box to be seen while creating a beautiful interplay of light and transparency.

The interior is lined with an ivory-colored silk or satin padded cushion, dotted with small buttons. It holds a bridal wreath composed of flowers, foliage, and small berries made of wax, fabric, and metal wire. These delicate wreaths were worn during the ceremony and then kept in a glass-fronted box as a memento of the wedding.

The set serves as a touching testament to 19th-century wedding rituals and domestic culture. The box could be placed in the couple’s bedroom or kept among family mementos. The fragility of the wreath, the richness of the frame, and the quality of the engraved glass make it a particularly endearing decorative and historical object.

Period: second half of the 19th century
Style: Napoleon III, Historicism
Origin: France
Materials: engraved glass, gilded metal, padded silk or satin, wax flowers, and fabric
Function: wedding box, bridal crown case
Length: 16 cm, or approximately 6.30 inches
Width: 16 cm, or approximately 6.30 inches
Height: 10 cm, or approximately 3.94 inches
Condition: good overall condition considering its age; wear and oxidation on the gilding, marks and signs of use on the interior lining and the crown—please examine the photographs carefully