Christmas is exactly 10 days away. Are you done with your shopping? Packed everything? Tucked away under the big, glittering Christmas tree? No? Have one gift left to buy? Well, then. What about a $14,400 jewellery box? A Siena jewellery box by Linley.
Here is the history: Duomo di Siena or Siena Cathedral is a medieval church in Siena, Italy, dedicated from its earliest days as a Roman Catholic Marian church, and now dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta (Holy Mary, Our Lady of the Assumption). The cathedral itself was originally designed and completed between 1215 and 1263 on the site of an earlier structure. It has the form of a Latin cross with a slightly projecting transept, a dome and a bell tower. Yes, I have taken it from Wikipedia, you are welcome.
Now, designers at Linley have used the complex architectural style of this cathedral to make the box. The interior is created in alternating white and black marble (which is, in fact, dark green), the exterior pattern of the Siena Jewellery Box is made up of specially dyed grey anegre and bleached sycamore veneers. The lid features a slip-matched pattern using sixty individual pieces of bleached sycamore veneer and is crowned by an oval shaped sterling silver plaque. And on this you can get a name or message engraved.
The box is constructed in sycamore with glass mirrors inside and a myriad of compartments and drawers that swing and pull out, each one lined in pale grey faux suede and individually designed for storing different jewellery, watches and trinkets with ring inserts, padded watch rolls and open compartments for storing larger pieces.
The element of mystery is a secret compartment. Exquisite is just an understatement.
[ Available at : Davidlinley ]
