Vintage Art Deco Bakelite Sandwich Box / Picnic Carrier – 1930s Folding Lunch Container
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A beautifully simple piece of early Art Deco kitchenalia, this vintage Bakelite sandwich box dates from around the 1930s–1940s, when Bakelite was the modern material transforming everyday household objects.
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Moulded in a rich marbled chocolate-brown Bakelite, the lid features a striking geometric Deco design — a circular motif intersected by three parallel lines, reflecting the clean, modern aesthetic of the period.
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The box opens on its original moulded hinge to form a clever tent-shaped carrier, designed to hold sandwiches without crushing them. When closed, it becomes a compact flat case, ideal for travel, picnics or packed lunches.
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Before plastic food containers became commonplace, items like this represented the cutting edge of domestic design, combining practicality with the sleek styling of the Art Deco era.
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Today it makes a wonderful collectible for lovers of:
Bakelite and early plastics
Art Deco design
vintage kitchenalia
picnic and travel antiques
It would also display beautifully in a retro kitchen or Bakelite collection.
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Dimensions
25 cm × 15 cm × 4 cm
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Condition
Good vintage condition with age-related wear consistent with use and age. The hinge is intact and the box opens and closes well. Please see photographs for detail.
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Why we love it
There is something wonderfully satisfying about early Bakelite objects — they capture a moment when the future of design was being invented. Practical, stylish and surprisingly modern nearly a century later.