A 17th century gilt metal English Box.

A rare gilt-metal oval Box, with squeeze-sided opening, engraved overall with stylised foliate engraving. London circa 1690.
Boxes of this form appear in quite large numbers made in silver but few gilt-metal examples have survived. The makers on silver boxes of this type seem all to have been immigrant smallworkers. Most are still unidentified. This box would have been made by one of the same group of makers.