A rather nice and unusual mid-Victorian, lockable oak decanter box of square section with four hand blown glass decanters with stoppers. The parquetry top has square panels of mother of pearl within the contrasting grain of hexagonal shapes of oak. It has a brass lock with a key so you can stop your butler from having a drink! The brass hinges are "Hodge Patent".
The top opens to reveal the four decanters that have been hand blown, with a polished pontil mark to their bases. There also have hand written numbers inscribed in red, within the pontil mark, presumably so you can list what you're drinking. They have gilded decoration that has mostly worn off on two of them.
The box has a few shrinkage cracks that are consistent with its age. There is a shrinkage crack to the underside of the lid (see photos) which cannot be seen from the outside. The glass decanters are in good condition with no cracks or chips. It measures 17 cm x 17 cm and stands 21 cm high. The decanters are 7 cm x 7 cm and are 19 cm to the top of the stopper.