Simply Smitten by Kristin Kerr

I'm always on the hunt for something new, unusual and beautiful. I scour flea markets and antique stores for special objects to incorporate into my home. As I have mentioned on here before, when it comes to antiques, I think an antique chest is a great initial investment piece. However, I realize that many of my clients and readers are young and may just be looking to start small. With that said, I thought you would enjoy reading a series about my favorite antique accessories. These are things that you can keep your eye out for at antique stores, while traveling, at estate sales or on ebay. They are the items that will add a sense of history to your home making it feel layered and collected. Because you know what they say, the devil’s in the details.

First item on the list? The porcupine quill box. These stylish little boxes, made by laying naturally shed porcupine quills between bands of ebony inlayed with ivory dots, were sold as souvenirs to sailors traveling to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in the late 19th/early 20th century. One quick ebay search and you’ll see that there are numerous quill boxes available and they vary in quality enormously. In general, the more intricate and detailed the piece, the rarer it is. The number of ivory dots and the distance between them is a good indication of the value – the closer proximity of the ivory, the more valuable the box. Prices vary so if you're having trouble finding a piece in your price range you can still get the look with this great reproduction available at Jayson Home.