LOCKS & MECHANISMS

Secret Compartments and Mechanisms

Secret compartments have been incorporated into boxes and cabinets for centuries, providing concealed storage for valuables, coins, private papers and other personal possessions. During the nineteenth century, however, their design often became considerably more sophisticated, with concealed compartments and opening mechanisms increasingly demonstrating the skill and ingenuity of the maker.

These compartments could be hidden beneath false floors, behind concealed walls or panels, above or behind drawers, within mirror sections or even disguised as part of the visible structure of the box itself.

Discovering the location of a hidden compartment was often only part of the challenge; the means of opening it could be equally difficult to determine. Spring-loaded floors and panels, concealed push-buttons, sliding sections, hidden catches and false screw heads were among the many methods used to release secret drawers and compartments.

Front right interior view of the Asprey ‘Exhibition’ jewellery box with the lower drawer partially extended.
Asprey ‘Exhibition’ Piece – Antique Jewellery Box in Coromandel with Brass Inlay and Secret Compartments. VIEW THIS BOX →
Release of the concealed spring-loaded floor through the lock aperture of Asprey’s Exhibition jewellery box.
With the bottom drawer removed, access to the floor beneath is gained. Sliding a pointed implement into the top of the lock aperture engages a spring-loaded rod that travels through the front flap of the box to release a concealed spring-loaded floor unit. VIEW THIS BOX →
Concealed floor unit being removed through the drawer aperture of Asprey’s Exhibition jewellery box.
The floor unit can then be removed through the drawer aperture. VIEW THIS BOX →
Three sliding-lid sections beneath the removable floor of Asprey’s Exhibition jewellery box.
The underside of the floor unit reveals three sections, each with sliding lids. VIEW THIS BOX →
Removable gold sovereign trays in the two outer sections beneath the floor of Asprey’s Exhibition jewellery box.
The two outer sections contain removable gold sovereign trays. VIEW THIS BOX →
Sovereign tray from Asprey’s Exhibition jewellery box, holding up to 50 sovereigns and 20 half sovereigns.
Each gold sovereign tray holds up to 50 sovereigns and 20 half sovereigns. VIEW THIS BOX →
Hidden trigger releasing a concealed jewellery tray from the ceiling of the drawer housing in Asprey’s Exhibition jewellery box.
A hidden spring-loaded trigger in the front wall of the main compartment above releases a concealed jewellery tray from the ceiling of the drawer housing. VIEW THIS BOX →
Gold sovereign holder from an antique jewellery box in coromandel with brass inlay and secret compartments, by Asprey.
These apertures are cut to the exact diameter of the sovereigns and half sovereigns, each precisely holding the height of five stacked coins. This ensures that there is no movement or rattling to alert ‘unwanted visitors’ to their existence, or to that of the secret compartment itself.
Antique Coromandel Box with Secret Floor and Compartments.
Antique Coromandel Box with Secret Floor and Compartments. VIEW THIS BOX →
Secret floor panel released by pressing the inner wall of a coromandel jewellery box.
A secret floor panel springs up from the base of the box by pressing the right side of the inner wall.
Removable satinwood tray with an internal gold sovereign tray beneath a jewellery box’s secret floor.
Once the floor is removed, a solid satinwood tray, holding an internal gold sovereign tray, can be removed. VIEW THIS BOX →
Two spring-loaded secret drawers revealed after removal of the satinwood tray.
Once the satinwood tray has been removed, two spring-loaded secret drawers can then be released. VIEW THIS BOX →
Secret drawers in a Jenner & Knewstub dressing case, released by a false screw and concealed spring-loaded floors.
The top secret drawer can be released by pressing down on a false screw in the Jenner & Knewstub maker’s plate, The two slim lower secret drawers are opened by pressing down on the spring-loaded floor compartments to the back left and right of the box (underneath the bottles). VIEW THIS BOX →
C. F. Hancock jewellery box with a manufacturer’s plate that releases the central drawer and spring-loaded floors that release two secret drawers.
Pressing down on the brass manufacturer’s plate springs out a large central drawer. Additionally, two thin secret drawers can be released from the cantilevered compartments by pressing down on the spring-loaded floors behind. VIEW THIS BOX →
Antique Jewellery Box in Coromandel with Cantilever Mechanism by C. F. Hancock, Son & Co.
Antique Jewellery Box in Coromandel with Cantilever Mechanism by C. F. Hancock, Son & Co. VIEW THIS BOX →
Coromandel Antique Jewellery Box with Concealed Button by William Leuchars.
Coromandel Antique Jewellery Box with Concealed Button by William Leuchars. VIEW THIS BOX →
Leuchars secret spring-loaded plate
Pushing on a concealed spring-loaded button in the wall, pops up the engraved brass manufacturer’s plate. This then reveals a further spring-loaded button to open the lower jewellery drawer.
Secret floor sliding from the base of a walnut jewellery box’s drawer housing.
A secret floor slides out from the base of the drawer housing. VIEW THIS BOX →
Concealed jewellery tray revealed beneath the secret floor of a walnut jewellery box.
Once the secret floor has been removed, a concealed jewellery tray is then revealed. VIEW THIS BOX →
Concealed jewellery tray removed from the base of a walnut jewellery box.
This concealed jewellery tray can then be removed from the base of the box. VIEW THIS BOX →
Concealed lever releasing a secret drop-down tray in a Walter Thornhill dressing case.
With the front drawer removed, a concealed lever in the ceiling disengages a secret drop-down tray. VIEW THIS BOX →
Secret tray with twenty-four circular sovereign apertures in a Walter Thornhill dressing case.
This tray contains twenty four circular apertures to store gold sovereigns. VIEW THIS BOX →
Overhead view of lower drawer, two trays, and the secret tray removed from the dressing case.
Antique Dressing Case in Calamander with Silver-Gilt / Gold Fittings by Walter Thornhill. VIEW THIS BOX →
Open front flap revealing the coromandel wall containing four concealed drawers in a William Leuchars jewellery box.
The front flap of the box opens out. This reveals what, at first glance, seems to be a coromandel interior wall. However, fitted within this wall are four concealed secret drawers… VIEW THIS BOX →
William Leuchars jewellery box with two drawer-release buttons in the maker’s plate and concealed floor releases for two further drawers.
Two push buttons, set into the manufacturer’s plate, release two central spring-loaded drawers from the front of the box. Concealed floor mechanisms in the main compartment above, release two further spring-loaded drawers to the left and right of the central drawers. VIEW THIS BOX →
Antique Jewellery Box in Calamander with Removable Secret Compartments, by Asprey
With the lower drawer removed, two concealed spring-loaded boxes can deployed from the left and right side of the drawer housing. These are triggered by pressing two hidden buttons near the floor of the main compartment above. VIEW THIS BOX →
Removable secret boxes from an antique jewellery box in calamander by Asprey.
These concealed boxes, made from mahogany, have sliding tops that reveal velvet-lined compartments within.
Spring-loaded secret floor revealing a concealed jewellery compartment in a Leuchars coromandel box.
With the lower drawer removed, access is gained to the spring-loaded floor. Pushing the floor backwards unlatches it, allowing it to pop up; this then reveals a concealed jewellery area beneath. VIEW THIS BOX →
Removable mahogany floor unit with three sliding covers and gold sovereign holders from a Leuchars jewellery box.
With the bottom drawer removed, a concealed spring-loaded floor unit is accessible. This floor unit, made from solid mahogany, is removed by pushing it backwards slightly, thus unlatching it and allowing it to pop up; it contains three slide-covered sections, two of which contain fourteen gold sovereign holders.
Antique Jewellery Box in Coromandel with Extending Side Trays and Spring-Loaded Rising Central Tray
With either the left or right tray fully extended, the opposing tray can be slid beyond its normal resting position to reveal a concealed jewellery section below. VIEW THIS BOX →

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