Victorian Indian Carved Wood Box – Oxfordshire 52nd Reg of Foot

My immediate thought was that this really well carved box was Chinese in origin but research shows the 52nd regiment had no connection to service in China but they did spend a lot of time in India and it turns out that India has a strong tradition of dragons so it is my assumption that this box came from a serving soldier from the 52nd Oxfordshire regiment of foot who spent time in India pre the 1881 reforms. To the top of the box are a pair of deeply carved dragons with the emblem for the 52nd in the middle, it is carved with dragons on all four sides of the box and even has some on the inside of the lid. For its age it comes in super condition with no apparent loss to the carving, it has a small brass lock but no key and it measures 5.5 long x 3.75 wide.

Code: 30033