Napoleon III Rococo Revival Crystal Tissue Box - Deep Crimson with Gilt Brass Laurel & Scroll Mounts

Design & Inspiration

Place this tissue box on a dressing table, a console in an entrance hall, or a bedside cabinet and it stops being a household object — it becomes a display piece. The deep crimson body, glowing like a cut garnet, is held within a framework of gilt brass that imposes the full decorative vocabulary of the Napoleon III Rococo Revival: laurel-wreath cartouche on the lid, pierced acanthus-scroll panels on the sides, scrolled foliate handles at each end, and bracket feet cast with shell and leaf motifs. Every surface earns its place. This is a faithful interpretation of the mid-nineteenth-century French taste for combining rich coloured glass or crystal with elaborately worked gilt bronze mounts — a tradition seen in the luxury objects made for the Second Empire court at the Tuileries Palace.

Materials & Craftsmanship

The body is cast from deep ruby-toned crystal resin, its surface faceted and textured to catch light the way cut glass does — the crimson deepens toward the base and brightens at the edges under direct illumination. The framework, handles, lid mount, and feet are cast gilt brass, finished to a warm, rich gold that contrasts precisely against the red ground. The lid cartouche is a fully modelled laurel wreath encircling a clear oval lens — the wreath cast with individual leaf detail rather than pressed flat. The side apron mounts are openwork, allowing glimpses of the crimson body behind the gilded tracery, a technique used in original Second Empire objets de vitrine to give depth and visual movement to a static object. Each piece is handcrafted and finished individually at the Brass & Wood workshop in Egypt.

Dimensions & Details

Width: 30 cm / Depth: 14 cm / Height: 12 cm
Weight: 4 kg
Brass finish available in multiple variants. No assembly required. Tissue opening on the lid accommodates standard folded tissues. Handle to handle measurement may slightly exceed stated width.

Handcrafted in Egypt

Brass & Wood produces each piece at its Cairo atelier, where craftsmen trained in classical European decorative arts combine traditional casting, hand-finishing, and gilding techniques. The Napoleon III Rococo Revival style — with its layered gilt mounts and jewel-toned glass bodies — was historically the most technically demanding of the French revival traditions, and this tissue box reflects that ambition. The weight of the piece (4 kg) speaks to the density of the brass casting and the thickness of the crystal body — these are not surface details applied to a light shell, but structural elements of a genuinely substantial object.

Frequently Asked Questions

What materials is this tissue box made from?

The body is deep crimson crystal resin, faceted to mimic cut glass. The mounts, feet, handles, and lid cartouche are gilt brass, cast and hand-finished. No wood is present in this piece.

Is assembly required?

No assembly is required. The tissue box arrives fully assembled and ready to place.

Can this be customized?

Yes. Brass finish colour can be selected from available variants including Gold, Silver, and Antique Gold. For additional customization enquiries, please contact Brass & Wood directly.