During the reign of Queen Victoria, Coromandel was considered one of the most exotic, luxurious and expensive woods to work with and it was the veneer of choice for some of the finest boxes.
Coromandel wood was sourced from India and South East Asia and was an incredibly dense, close-grained wood. Visually a more vibrant and figured (patterned) variety from the Ebony family, the actual species of Coromandel became virtually extinct by the beginning of the 20th century. Today, the nearest relation to Coromandel is Macassar Ebony.
Coromandel veneer from an antique dressing case with Betjemann Patent mechanism by Jenner & Knewstub.
Antique Dressing Case in Coromandel with Betjemann Patent Mechanism, by Jenner & Knewstub.
Coromandel veneer from an Asprey antique jewellery box with Betjemann Patent mechanism.
Asprey Antique Jewellery Box in Coromandel with Betjemann Patent Mechanism.
Coromandel veneer from an antique jewellery box attributed to William Lund.
Antique Jewellery Box in Coromandel, Attributed to William Lund.
Coromandel veneer from an antique jewellery box by Asprey.
Coromandel Veneer from an Antique Jewellery Box, by Asprey.
Coromandel veneer from an antique jewellery box with Betjemann Patent mechanism by George Betjemann & Sons.
Antique Jewellery Box in Coromandel with Betjemann Patent Mechanism, by George Betjemann & Sons.