Nouvelle Chicane had a problem; the MET Museum had the inspiration for our solution. A beautiful eyeglass case was the result.

Nouvell Chicane artistic frames are large and bold and do not fit standard carrying cases.  Special ordered cases from the far east were an option, but we decided to go a different route.

It all started with a day trip to The MET museum on 5th Avenue and 81st Street.  The MET is home to countless artifacts from 1000s of years ago.

It quickly became clear that boxes, trunks and containers hold a special place in the history of the world and particularly meaningful to the owners.  Even today, iconic brands such as Louis Vuitton pride themselves on their history of boxe and trunk construction. Carefully crafted small containers held everything from snuff to cigarettes, to jewelry, to makeup, to paints and brushes, and even funeral ashes. Opulent carefully constructed boxes and cases were and are held in high regard. One of the purest examples is the Faberge Egg which contains a prized hen in its yolk and ultimately the Russian crown.  Nouvelle Chicane Eyewear will be protected by the case shell in the same way as the enamel shell of the Faberge Egg.

It was clear that the Nouvelle Chicane box must be constructed from a precious metal such as copper or stainless steel. The case takes form of a 9 inch x 4 inch box with a snug fitting lid. They are hand cut with shears from 14 gage stainless steel or copper. The template is form bent on a sheet metal brake in our studio. The corners tabs are then drilled and pop riveted using an aircraft rivet forming tool to secure and strengthen the joints.

The cases are then carefully lined with colorful felt from the NYC garment district. The external metal surfaces are polished with fine abrasives and home crafted pastes to achieve a jewelry like finish.  For a final touch, we etch the logo into the lid of our case as you can see here in our etching video.

These cases are available to our exclusive clientele at Charlotte Jones Opticians

MET Museum Inspirational and Beautiful Boxes