Brass Handles

Some antique boxes, particularly larger examples, could be surprisingly heavy and needed to be carried securely during travel. Taking inspiration from campaign furniture, makers often fitted brass handles to the sides or top of the case. Recessed or flush-mounted handles were particularly favoured, allowing the box to retain a clean profile when the handles were not in use. 

Late Georgian and William IV handles tended to be relatively restrained and formal in design. As Victorian tastes developed, however, handles often became more decorative, with sculpted forms, engraving and increasingly elaborate detailing. On some of the finest boxes, the handles became an important feature of the exterior design in their own right.