Object Description
This is a very fine antique Victorian brass bound Gonçalo Alves jewellery casket of the highest quality and condition by the luxury goods manufacturer, F. L. Hausburg of Liverpool, England, circa 1860 in date.
The casket is made from stunning Gonçalo Alves embellished with beautiful brass bound strapwork mounts and escutcheon. The hinged lid encloses a lush green vevet and leather lined compartmented interior fitted with a lift-out tray, in superb condition. The underside of the lid is fitted with a lift out mirror with a green and gold tooled leather writing surface on the rear.
The lid is marked in gilt F. L. Hausburg 24 Church Street Liverpool.
It features its original working Bramah lock and key
Condition:
In really excellent condition, it would appear to have never been used, please see photos for confirmation.
Dimensions in cm:Height 14 cm x Width 28 cm x Depth 21 cm
Dimensions in inches:Height 5 inches x Width 11 inches x Depth 8 inches
Friedrich Ludwig Hausburg (1817–1886)
was a Berlin-born British luxury goods manufacturer and jeweler based in Liverpool, known for high-quality clocks, writing cases, and dressing boxes. Active in the mid-19th century, he operated from 24 Church Street, Liverpool, and became a naturalized British citizen in 1840.
Hausburg began in Paris with his uncle, August Wilhelm Promoli, before establishing his own business in Liverpool by 1841. His items often blended French luxury influences with English craftsmanship, featuring materials like coromandel, rosewood, brass inlay, and mother-of-pearl.
He was renowned for producing intricate mantel clocks, carriage clocks, and finely fitted, luxurious writing and dressing boxes.
A notable masterpiece, a cabinet signed “F.L. Hausburg Fecit Liverpool Begun 1840, Finished in 1857,” highlights his dedication to, and ability in, high-end cabinet making.
He was highly regarded for quality, often avoiding the “cheap” reputation of other, more common, 19th-century makers. He retired in 1860, selling the business to W.H. Tooke.
His, and his uncle’s, naturalization was famously signed by Queen Victoria in 1840, in an accelerated process.
Bramah
is London’s oldest security company. Established at 124 Piccadilly, London in 1784, and today based in Marylebone, London and Romford, Essex.
Bramah made their first lock in 1784 and the patent was awarded in 1787. The designer was Joseph Bramah. Joseph Bramah was a leading inventor of the industrial revolution, patenting over 18 new ideas, including a new valve for the water closet (toilet), the hydraulic pump, a fountain pen, and a fire engine.
Bramah also introduced a beer hand pump for use at the bar, to prevent fluid loss when barmen went downstairs to pour a new jug! Due to the quality of his manufacturing, his name became a by-word amongst British Engineers for engineering excellence and many of his inventions are on display in the Science Museum in London. You can find one of his original toilets still working in Osborne House, Queen Victoria’s home on the Isle of Wight.
The Bramah lock was unique and advanced property and valuables protection enormously. Indeed it was 50 years ahead of any Chubb lock and 70 years ahead of Yale. Original Bramah locks are most often found on the highest quality homes and furniture.
Gonçalo Alves
is a hardwood (from the Portuguese name, Gonçalo Alves). It is sometimes referred to as tigerwood — a name that underscore the wood’s often dramatic, contrasting color scheme.
While the sapwood is very light in color, the heartwood is a sombre brown, with dark streaks that give it a unique look. The wood’s color deepens with exposure and age and even the plainer-looking wood has a natural luster.
Two species are usually listed as sources for gonçalo alves: Astronium fraxinifolium and Astronium graveolens, although other species in the genus may yield similar wood; the amount of striping that is present may vary.
In the high tropical forests of Central and South America, well-drained soils furnish nutrients for a variety of dense, durable hardwoods sought for maritime use, heavyconstruction, and furniture. The Spanish began harvesting in Latin American forests in the early 1500s to provide timber for boatbuilding and repair. By the early 1900s, however, steel ships had replaced wooden ones, and the interest in tropical forests by both Europeans and Americans shifted to appearance-grade woods for furniture.
Although history fails to provide us with a shopping list of species from either harvest period, it’s probable that the wood we know today as goncalo alves has always been sought. That’s because goncalo alves, considered one of the most beautiful of tropical woods, has a tough reputation, too. Strong and durable, it’s used for construction in its homeland and secondarily for fine furniture. Woodworkers elsewhere treasure the wood for decorative items and veneer accents.
Our reference: A5113c