Edmond Burke box

Ivory, red wax, ormolu, blued steel

England

Circa 1790

The surface of this box is unadorned save for a single oval wax medallion of the famed Irish statesman Edmund Burke after the 1791 portrait by Thomas R. Poole. The interior is just as finely crafted, with a gilt metal hinge delicately engraved and blued steel screws holding everything in place. A small note tucked away within reveals that this treasure once belonged to Burke himself.

This box is a reliquary to the life and legacy of Burke, the greatest Humanist of the 18th century and a towering figure in the world of politics and philosophy.

• Family of Edmund Burke

• Private Collection

• Marion Deahar