Painted Lighthouse Metal Trinket Box with Hinged Lid - Red

This painted metal trinket box takes the form of a red brick lighthouse on a rocky shore, with the keeper's cottage built against its foot. The tower rises in tapering courses of brick red, ringed with gold bands and topped by a black gallery, a lantern set with a band of small blue stones and a pointed grey cap. Beside it, the cottage has dark grey roofs edged in white, little grey windows, a tall brick chimney and a porch over the door, while green shrubs dotted with tiny amber berries climb around a sandy path and pale surf breaks along the base. It is made of metal alloy, hand painted throughout, and stands 8.7cm tall, 5.8cm wide and 5.3cm deep.

Closed, it looks like a small ornament, so it sits happily on a mantelpiece, a bookcase shelf, a cabinet or a dressing table. Lift the top and the upper half of the lighthouse and cottage swings back on its hinge to open a small compartment, a tidy place for rings, earrings, a pendant or other little keepsakes you want close at hand. On a bedside table it gathers the jewellery you take off at night, and on a desk it can hold a spare key.

The hinge sits at the back of the tower, finished in gold to match the trim, and the inside is a smooth cream white, so whatever you keep there is easy to see. A gold edge runs along the line where lid meets base for a neat close. As with any hand painted piece, a gentle touch keeps it looking its best: dust it with a soft dry cloth and keep it away from water and polish. Tuck a ring or a pair of earrings inside before you wrap it, and the gift holds a second surprise under the roof.

How big is the lighthouse trinket box?

It stands 8.7cm tall, 5.8cm wide and 5.3cm deep, so it is small enough to sit in the palm of your hand or on a narrow shelf.

How does the trinket box open?

The upper half of the lighthouse and cottage lifts and swings back on a gold hinge at the back of the tower, opening a small compartment inside.

What is it made of?

It is made of metal alloy and hand painted in brick red, with dark grey roofs, gold trim and a band of small blue stones around the lantern.

What can I keep inside it?

The compartment suits small things such as rings, earrings, a pendant or a spare key, and its cream white inside makes them easy to see.

How should I look after it?

Dust it gently with a soft dry cloth and keep it away from water and polish, which is good practice for any hand painted metal piece.

Where would it look best in the home?

Closed, it reads as a little ornament, so it suits a mantelpiece, bookcase, cabinet, dressing table or bedside table where it can be seen.