Elizabeth I inlaid oak desk box, dated 1601

An exceptionally rare Elizabethan oak desk box of large proportion, inlaid with fruitwood and bog oak. The sloping lid is inlaid with a bold geometric design echoing Elizabethan knot gardens, centred with the initials R B and the date 1601. The front and sides are enriched with scrolling foliate and floral inlay, set within applied mouldings. Retains its original iron lock and hasp.
Desk boxes of this type were functional objects of high status, used for storing documents, writing materials, or valuables. The dated inscription makes this a securely attributed piece of Elizabethan furniture, offering insight into the domestic and administrative world of the late Tudor gentry.