Antique Indian Chests & Boxes

Antique Indian chests combine storied craftsmanship with practical storage — elegant blanket chests for the end of a bed, statement coffee table chests for living rooms, and characterful small boxes for valuables.

Our collection spans Rajasthan, Gujarat, Kutch, Hyderabad (Telangana), Goa, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, uniting dowry chests, merchant boxes and military/campaign chests. Crafted in teak, rosewood (sheesham) and jackfruit wood, each chest is hand-made, timeworn and has a thousand stories to tell — a one-off that works beautifully as a coffee table chest or as generous end-of-bed storage.

Dowry Chests (Rajasthan & Gujarat)

Dowry chests from Rajasthan and Gujarat range from richly painted to carved or brass-mounted examples. Painted pieces (often in smaller, merchant-box sizes) show mineral-pigment borders, foliate panels and auspicious motifs; larger teak dowry chests combine robust joinery with decorative facias. Explore our wider edit of painted Indian furniture for allied forms and palettes.

Merchant Chests & Boxes (Shekhawati, Jaisalmer, Kutch)

Shekhawati merchant chests are renowned for refined proportions, quality teak and well-made brass or iron hardware. Jaisalmer boxes tend to be smaller and chip-carved, with distinctive desert-region styling; the area also produced kair-wood stick boxes used for smaller valuables. From Kutch come evocative coastal forms with layered paint and robust fittings — pieces that sit effortlessly in modern interiors.

Military & Campaign Chests (Teak, Brass-Bound)

Campaign chests are almost always teak and brass-bound, frequently with recessed mounts and owner’s plaques. Many originated across Gujarat, Rajasthan, Hyderabad (Telangana) and Burma. Interiors may include a candle box, letter rack or occasional secret compartments — practical features that make these chests superb blanket boxes or coffee table chests today. Browse related forms under Campaign Furniture.

South India & Indo-Portuguese Influence (Goa, Kerala, Tamil Nadu)

On the west and south coasts, Goan and Kerala chests show Indo-Portuguese influence: sculptural bases, domed lids and rich timbers such as jackfruit, teak and rosewood, often ebony-edged with heavy brass mounts. These coastal forms read as quietly luxurious in contemporary rooms — a balance of substance, silhouette and patina.

Materials, Dates & Restoration

Typical woods include teak (durable, close-grained), rosewood/sheesham (rich tone, fine grain) and jackfruit (golden, stable). Most pieces date from the late 18th to early 20th century. Each antique is sympathetically restored in our UK workshop for stability and everyday use, preserving original surfaces, hardware and the layered authenticity that reproductions cannot match.

Styling & Use

Use a large teak chest as a statement coffee table or end-of-bed blanket chest; style a smaller merchant box on a console for texture and history. Pair with natural linen, hand-thrown ceramics and patinated metal for a calm, collected interior.