Furniture in Roman Egypt: chests and boxes

Boxes used in poorer houses most likely looked similar to examples found in earlier periods (compare boxes at Lahun). The Petrie Museum preserves a number of small boxes, coming from settlement sites and tombs. They are often carved from a single piece of wood and therefore had a better chance to survive than larger boxes, which might have fallen apart and were not or only partly collected by early excavators. Boxes might be decorated with paintings, often poorly preserved. Other decorations include metal parts and bone/ivory inlays.

(click on the images for a larger picture, or more information - marked yellow)

late Roman Period		from Lahun	Hawara, box with sliding lid	Hawara, painted box

Many boxes were inlaid with bone and ivory carvings. Bigger boxes had hinges.

(click on the image to see more of them)	Bronze hinges