Price match guarantee

If you find the same item listed at a lower price (including delivery) elsewhere, we'll match it for you.

For further policy details click here.

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How it works

  1. Send a screenshot of the item from the other website with date and time visible.
  2. Send us the link of the item on Vinterior and on the other website.
  3. We'll check that it's the same item from the same seller.
  4. If eligible, Vinterior matches the price.
Request a price match

Item details

Height

13.5 cm

Width

30.0 cm

Depth

22.5 cm

Wear conditions Wear conditions

Good

Wear conditions

Excellent

Shows little to no signs of wear and tear.

Good

May show slight traces of use in keeping with age. Most vintage and antique items fit into this condition.

Average

Likely to show signs of some light scratching and ageing but still remains in a fair condition.

Apparent Wear and Tear

Visible signs of previous use including scratches, chips or stains.

Please refer to condition report, images or make a seller enquiry for additional information.

Description

Wonderful Georgian Tunbridge Ware writing slope inlaid with intricate geometric bands. The hinged domed lid opens to reveal a fitted writing surface, original pen rest and two inkwell compartments. The slope is lined with purple velvet that is embossed with a scrolling design.

The body of the box is veneered with walnut and the marquetry is done with cross banded boxwood, kingwood and tulipwood among others. The lid has a vacant mother-of-pearl rhombus cartouche that is edged with fruitwood and ebony; the same design is repeated around the key escutcheon.

Very ornate and eye-catching box!

Made in England, c. 1830’s.

Tunbridge ware is a form of decoratively inlaid woodwork, that is characteristic of Tonbridge and the spa town of Royal Tunbridge Wells in Kent in the 18th and 19th centuries. The decoration typically consists of a mosaic of many very small pieces of different coloured woods that form a pictorial vignette. Shaped rods and slivers of wood were first carefully glued together, then cut into many thin slices of identical pictorial veneer with a fine saw. Elaborately striped and feathered bandings for framing were pre-formed in a similar fashion. Many sorts of wood were employed for the various colours; about 40 were in regular use and only natural colours were used.

In the nineteenth century, Tunbridge ware was highly esteemed nationally as well as locally. The young Princess Victoria, a frequent visitor to the town with her mother the Duchess of Kent, used to buy articles of Tunbridge ware as gifts for her family. Today, these beautiful pieces can only be purchased in antique shops, as none have been made on a commercial basis since 1939.

Condition report:

Very good antique condition. Some crazing and surface cracks to veneer; small loss to nacre at the keyhole; crack to the front right corner of the lid extending to the side; the latch on the inside of the lid that secures the slope is loose and doesn't hold the slope in place; tear to the fold of the writing surface; small chips to the corners of the pen rest.

Material
Walnut
Manufactured
1800s
Origin
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Item location
Buckland, United Kingdom
Period
19th Century
Designer
Unknown
Brand
Unknown
Condition
Used

Cancellations

We offer free cancellations and full refund for orders cancelled before dispatching. View full policy.

Returns

We have a 14-day return guarantee for orders from individual sellers, within the UK and European Union. View full policy.

Estimated delivery time

Less than one week

Free collection available

Yes

The average lifespan of a Vinterior piece is 100 years, while modern flat-pack typically takes just 3 years to reach landfill. When you choose pre-loved, you can shop with confidence in quality, craftsmanship and longevity. With our top-rated customer service team and price match guarantee, there's no better way to shop pre-loved.

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Professional
5.0 / 5
Located in Buckland, United Kingdom
  • Selling at Vinterior since 2023
  • 15 sales
  • Ships from Buckland, United Kingdom
We're a small, family run business (Rita is our grandmother), and even though we’ve grown, this is still a labour of love. Starting out, we knew very little about antiques - where to find them, how to look after them or, if we’re being honest with ourselves, what they were worth. Fast-forward eight years, and we have an established presence online, and we are now incredibly proud to welcome you here, to the home of Rita’s Bazaar.

Seller Reviews

Cancellations and Returns

Last updated: 13th August 2024

Our Terms of sale were designed to treat both Customers and Vendors (including Professional Vendors and Non-Professional Vendors (as defined in the Site Terms)) fairly, in order to make the shopping/selling experience with Vinterior just as exceptional as the items.

To protect our Customers from disappointment or the unexpected, we strongly encourage them to closely inspect item photos, descriptions, and details before purchasing anything on the Site, and then again upon delivery or pickup.

If the Customer is unsure about an item's condition, dimensions, quantity, or description, they can send their questions to the item's Vendor by clicking on Ask the seller on the listing page of the Site.

Customers shall receive the same level of consumer protection on purchases irrespective of whether they are buying from a Professional Vendor or Non-Professional Vendor.

Should you have any questions regarding your transaction, please contact the Vendor in the first instance.

Can I cancel an order?

If a Customer changes their mind or decides for any other reason not to purchase the Goods before they have been dispatched, they can cancel the order on the Site and receive a refund.

The right to cancel does not apply to the following types of goods, which are non-refundable: items that are personalised, bespoke, or made-to-order according to the customer's specific requirements. If in doubt, the Customer can contact the Vendor via the Site.

If the Customer cancels an order after an item has already been marked as dispatched for delivery, the delivery costs are non-refundable.

To cancel the order, the Customer must follow the cancellation procedure on the Site by clicking on Create Cancellation on the order page.

Can I return an item?

All items at Vinterior are special and unique, and we understand that once they are at the Customer's place, they might not fit the space or just don’t feel right. This is why we offer a market-leading 100-day returns policy for purchases from Professional sellers after goods have been received by customers based in the UK and European Union. This means Vinterior customers can return their items for any reason up to 100 days from the day they were received.

If purchased from an Individual seller, a 14-day return policy applies from the day it was received.

Types of returns and responsibilities

Change of mind return

Consumers can return the goods due to a change of mind. Once a return is requested, the buyer is in charge of shipping the goods back to the seller and should organise it as soon as possible. Shipment costs to and from buyers are non-refundable.

Item not fit for purpose

Acting under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, customers may return faulty Goods that are damaged or the listing on the Site is materially inaccurate, misleading, or misrepresents the Goods. In these cases, the Customer must provide photographic evidence to Vinterior and the Vendor or reject the delivery on arrival.

Damage in transit

Vinterior must be informed of any damage in transit. If Proovia delivered the items, Vinterior will then raise an insurance claim on behalf of the Vendor with the delivery company. If the seller organised a delivery, they would be asked to raise a claim with their courier. Once the claim is resolved and any relevant decision regarding the insurance has been made, any applicable refunds will be processed.

How to request a return

To initiate a return the customer needs to log in to their Vinterior account and click Create a return on the order page. In the return request, the reason for the return must be included along with photos of any damage of the Goods, if faulty.

How you will be refunded?

Once the item is returned to the Vendor in the same condition, the Vendor will confirm receipt of the item, and Vinterior will refund the original payment method.

If an item is returned to the seller damaged or in an unsuitable condition, Vinterior will not be able to process the refund, and the seller may have to send it back (and ask you to cover the delivery costs). All items are inspected on return.

What can't be returned?

As with cancellations, the right to return an item does not apply to the following types of Goods, which are non-refundable: items that are personalised, bespoke or made-to-order to the Customer's specific requirements.

Please note that vintage items are not sold as new and are likely to show signs of wear and tear. This is not sufficient grounds for a refund.

Vendors may refuse a return of an item if the Customer has altered it in any way.

Neither Vinterior nor the Vendors are liable for any damages or loss sustained in transit via third parties.

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