A 17th Century Carved Oak Box With Side Drawer Dated 1655

A 17th century carved oak box with side drawer dated 1655. Intricate carvings on all sides, including geometric figures and hearts. These figures are typical of 17th century carved English furniture. Dated and signed under the lid: WILLIAM FYLLARY 1655. A secondary piece of paper is to be found underneath this from a later owner. This reiterates "WILLIAM FYLLARY 1655" along with indecipherable text and a date that reads 1801. Rare all original hardware on this box including 2 pairs of copper - bronze hinges allowing the top to fold over onto itself. Original brass escutcheon. Working lock and key. Due to a spring mechanism pushing down from the top through the side into the side drawer lock, the drawer is only accessible when the top is opened. Presumably this box contained writing utensils due to the side compartments which was most likely used for ink wells. See the corresponding round indentations underneath the top. height: 4 in. 10 cm., width: 10.5 in. 26.5 cm., depth: 6.5 in. 15.25 cm.