This is an unusual  Antique Wax Jack Bougie Box, made from laburnum.
The wax jack was a container holding up a taper, treated with wax or turpentine, lit to heat the block of sealing wax used to fasten letters and documents. After the seal hardened, it was almost impossible to secretly open the letter, because the wax would break.
This piece unscrews in two places, the base, maybe to store seals and the central body for the wax taper. There is a minor repair to of the chip castellations, carried out extremely well.
The striker to the base is still present.
A lovely piece with great figuring.
C1830
It measures 15cm h x 8cm d.