Tunbridge ware is a type of decorative woodwork made in and around Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge in Kent, best known for its distinctive mosaic decoration formed from tiny pieces of differently coloured woods. It was produced largely as souvenirs for visitors to the spa town.
Woodware was made in the area from the seventeenth century, initially decorated with painting, printing or simple inlay. The characteristic tessellated mosaic technique developed in the early nineteenth century: thin sticks of natural-coloured woods were glued together in bundles so that their ends formed a pattern, and the bundle was then sliced into thin veneers that could be applied to boxes and furniture. Designs include geometric patterns, flowers, birds, butterflies and views of castles, abbeys and local buildings. Products range from small items such as pin cushions, rulers, stamp boxes and needle cases to tea caddies, writing slopes, sewing boxes and occasional tables. Makers included Edmund Nye, Thomas Barton and Henry Hollamby. Collectors look for fine, intact mosaic, good colour, unusual subjects and labels or stamps, and they avoid pieces with lifting or missing veneer, which is difficult to restore convincingly.
