Indian Cathedral Lidded and Hinged Dowry Box

A little house with a pitched roof, locked up tight.

Craftsmen in India made this cathedral lidded and hinged dowry box in bronze and wood in the 19th century. Boxes of this shape were commonly used to keep jewelry, documents and other valuables, often in a bride’s household. The sloping, pyramid-like lid and the sides are covered with dark, aged wood, edged with cut-brass mounts. Scrolling leaf shapes run up the lid and corners, with a lock plate at the front. The wood is a deep reddish-brown with wear along the edges.

About 9 inches high and 12 wide. Sits on a console and keeps its secrets, or at least your keys.