Tunbridge Ware pieces originate from the picturesque spa town of Royal Tunbridge Wells in Tunbridge, Kent.
We have a wide selection of Tunbridge Ware in our store, including tessellated mosaic, stick ware, perspective cube mosaic, Vandyke, and painted pen work.
We have curated our Fine Antiques and Boxes to reflect their elegance and quality. All items are in excellent condition.
In the 17th century, an area of Kent, Tunbridge Wells and Tunbridge became well-known for the therapeutic properties of the water in the area.
By the late 17th century, the area had become a popular social gathering place. Unique shops started to become established, where visitors could purchase locally crafted goods as souvenirs. Among the souvenirs that were sold, were boxes which were decorated with a variety of designs.
Many of the Tunbridge boxes featured prints of different designs on the centre of the box. These prints would include a variety of images related to Tunbridge. For example, images might have been of a castle, a church, pavilions, country scenes with animals, and sometimes, prints of famous people like the Young Prince of Wales.
These centre images were usually surrounded by a border, with different bandings and panels of both floral and geometric designs. Around the 1790s, Perspective Cube and Vandyke patterns began to be used; this type of design was sometimes three-dimensional, giving depth to the plan. Particularly with the Cube perspective and Vandyke patterns, exotic timbers were commonly used.
Stick ware and tessellated patterns became a more popular design to appear on the boxes.