Antique Coromandel Gothic Revival Gilt Brass Strapwork Stationery Box 19th C

This is a lovely antique Victorian Gothic Revival gilt brass strapwork mounted Coromandel stationery box, circa 1870 in date.

This delightful antique writing slope has a hinged serpentine lid which opens to reveal a fitted interior with stepped divisions and its original navy blue silked lined interior. The box has exquisite cut card and engraved brass strapwork, hinges and lock.

The box has various compartments for pens, pencils and letters. It has a vesta case on the right hand side with a brass plaque that is inscribed 'Matches', and a stamp holder on the left hand side which is inscribed 'Stamps'

The stationery box has a fully working lock and it comes with its original key that has been fitted with a decorative golden tassel.

This is a highly decorative piece which will make a statement once placed on any period desk.

Condition:

In excellent condition having been beautifully cleaned and waxed in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation.

Dimensions in cm:

Height 18 x Width 24 x Depth 15

Dimensions in inches:

Height 7.1 x Width 9.4 x Depth 5.9

Coromandel wood or Calamander wood

is a valuable wood from India, Sri Lanka and South East Asia. It is of a hazel-brown color, with black stripes (or the other way about), very heavy and hard. It is also known as Macassar Ebony or variegated ebony and is closely related to genuine ebony, but is obtained from different species in the same genus; one of these is Diospyros quaesita Thwaites, from Sri Lanka. The name Calamander comes from the local sinhalese name, 'kalu-medhiriya', which means dark chamber; referring to the characteristic ebony black wood.

Coromandel wood has been logged to extinction over the last 2 to 3 hundred years and is no longer available for new work in any quantity. Furniture in coromandel is so expensive and so well looked after that even recycling it is an unlikely source. A substitute, Macassar Ebony, has similar characteristics and to the untrained eye is nearly the same but it lacks the depth of colour seen in genuine Coromandel.

Our reference: 09401

Internal Ref:

09401

Date of manufacture : 19th Century