Overview
A rare early lidded box by Aldo Tura, made in Italy in the 1940s. Hand-carved from solid pear wood with a softly undulating, sculptural surface and a warm amber patina, and crowned by a finely cast patinated-bronze crab that serves as the handle. An exceptional and unusual example of Tura's early production.
 
Description
This lidded box belongs to the rare, early output of Aldo Tura, predating the lacquered-parchment barware for which his Milanese atelier later became famous.
The rounded, gently bombé body is hand-carved from solid pear wood, its surface worked into an organic play of soft dimples and swells that catch the light and give the piece a tactile, almost living quality. The wood is finished in a warm honey-amber tone that brings out its fine, dense grain. The interior is smoothly turned and hollowed, while the domed lid is surmounted by a realistically modelled bronze crab — patinated, with verdigris accents in its recesses — that works as both decorative motif and practical handle.
A sculptural, characterful object that blurs the line between functional box and cabinet curiosity.
 
Design & Function
Conceived as a decorative lidded box, it is ideal on a desk, console or coffee table — for trinkets, jewellery, cigarettes or simply as a sculptural object. The bronze crab makes the lid easy to lift while giving the piece its unmistakable personality.
The contrast between the warm, organic carved wood and the cool, finely detailed bronze is pure Tura: refined, theatrical and immediately recognizable.
 
Materials & Aesthetic
The piece showcases Tura's mastery of materials and his taste for the unexpected: solid pear wood, hand-carved and patinated, paired with a cast bronze animal mount. The undulating surface and warm tonality reveal the artisanal quality of the work and the experimental, decorative spirit that defines the best of his production.
The wood preserves a beautiful, luminous patina, with natural variations and minor signs of age fully consistent with a hand-carved piece from the 1940s.
 
Technical Details
Product: Aldo Tura Carved Pear Wood Lidded Box with Bronze Crab, Italy, 1940s
Designer: Aldo Tura
Manufacturer: Aldo Tura, Milano
Period: 1940s
Materials: Hand-carved pear wood; cast patinated bronze (crab handle)
Dimensions: Height 19cm | Diameter 20cm
Condition: Please note that this item is in good vintage condition. The pear wood is solid and intact, with a warm patina; minor marks, small scratches and natural variations may be present, fully consistent with a hand-carved object from the 1940s. The bronze crab shows a natural patina with verdigris accents. The lid and body fit well, and the turned interior is clean. We kindly invite you to take these characteristics into consideration before purchasing.
Functionality: Decorative lidded box / catch-all, with a bronze crab handle
 
Collectibility
Rare and highly collectible, this box represents an early and unusual chapter in Aldo Tura's work — far scarcer than his well-known parchment barware. Its sculptural hand-carving, warm material presence and characterful bronze crab make it a true conversation piece, ideal for collectors of 20th-century Italian design and for sophisticated, curated interiors.
This piece is sold with a certificate of authenticity issued by the Aldo Tura Archive — of which JF Gallery Design is the current custodian — confirming its attribution and its historical and collectible importance.
 
Designer & Manufacturer
Aldo Tura (Milan) is among the most distinctive figures of 20th-century Italian decorative arts. His atelier is renowned for its exceptional work with parchment and luxurious materials, creating highly recognizable, theatrical pieces in which craftsmanship, decorative refinement and material experimentation merge into an unmistakable Italian design language. Early works such as this carved pear wood box are rare and especially prized, revealing the hand-craftsmanship at the very root of the Tura aesthetic.