This is veneered with yew, a particular favourite of mine, with detailing in boxwood, Mother-of-Pearl and Abalone and was made for the first child of a friend of mine. [She now has Charlotte too and another box for her is rather overdue - sorry, Liz, should you read this!]

The interior was left un-fitted but was lined with green moir leaving planty of space to contain all the usual Christening things: champagne cork, rattle [a beautiful one made by a mutual friend, the recorder maker Jacqueline Sorel] and a couple of silver spoons and booties. The decoration, in mother-of-pearl, was loosely based on the design on the birth announcement cards.

This was included as one of the projects in my second book, 'Fine Decorative Boxes' published by Sterling 1998. [Click here for more information on my books.]