Typical of work boxes made in China for sale to visiting Europeans 1840'sBlack lacquerware work box, hexagonal, with bone or ivory fittints. Black all-over lacquered surfaces decorated with Chinese pavilion scenes and motifs with butterflies. Two inner compartments, upper one fitted with bone/ivory lids to compartments for needlework. Lower compartment is a drawer with missing contents. Two metal carrying handles, two metal key holes (no keys). Front feet gilded wood, back feet wooden blocks. Interior has one removable fitted tray with eleven compartments. Two compartment lids match gold and green lacquerware of exterior. Two have removvable inserts. Third compartment has removable pincushion insert. Four narrow compartments fitted with wooden blocks to contain tools. Lower drawer has folding writing slope decorated and five compartments for writing toolsExterior: Black lacquer with gold and pale green inlaychinese lacquerware, workbox, ivory needlework accessories

Pins were expensive and so the use of pincushions to keep them safe, to protect them and other items was practical and popular. Chinese carved ivory clamps with pincushion tops were common accessories for work boxes. Such as these they were made in the East for sale to European markets where they were a way of showing one's financial status. Pins were precious sewing tools which needed to be kept safe and sharp, pincushions were an essential sewing tool for keeping pins. Carved bone or ivory clamp with screw through base for attachment.. Topped with pincushion covered with (replacement) embroidered silkclamp, pincushion, ivory carving

Clamps used to grasp fabric combined with a pincushion or emery (missing in this example) were very popular sewing tools in 19th century. Possibly from Chinese workboxCarved ivory pincushions clamp were often included in work boxes. Chinese carved ivory clamp with missing pincushion Garden scenes carved on one end, Chrysanthemum design with three rows of ptalsclamp, pincushion