Description

Antique Writing Box veneered in lovely figured burr walnut with brass edging and double stringing, with a large vacant brass initial plate on the top and matching lock escutcheon contains two secret compartments one with three drawers and another top secret document drawer.

The interior of this fabulous antique writing slope features a black leather writing surface surrounded by a striking coromandel veneer. The lower half of the writing surface is secured by two sliding brass tabs. Releasing these tabs and lifting the lower half reveals a large storage space.
The top half of the writing surface is secured by lock making the storage space underneath perfect for precious letters or documents.

This upper compartment also has a secret! The compartment divider to the left of the right hand inkwell can be pulled up which will release the false back wall of the upper compartment, revealing three ribbon handled drawers.

On the right hand edge of the open box is a small brass retaining pin. Removing this allows the side drawer to be slide open. The drawer also has another secret to reveal! Removing the drawer completely and then reaching up into the roof of its compartment and pressing upwards will release a hidden secret document drawer which drops down and can be fully removed.

This victorian walnut writing box comes with a fully working lock and tasselled keys.

Walnut comes in many varieties from America to Europe.
American Walnut is often a warm yellow-brown to purple-brown colour with a straight grain.
European Walnut tends to vary greatly from tree to tree in terms of colour and pattern. From light grey-brown to dark brown with dark grain and irregular markings.
Walnut trees often develop large burr growths which when veneered show beautiful rich coloured swirls.

Mark Goodger Antiques stock many different styles of Writing Box. The Writing Box symbolises great milestones in social & economic history.

For many centuries, and in many cultures, portable boxes for writing materials had existed. In England, it was not until the late 18th century that a variation in social & economic circumstances made it essential to have the use of a portable desk in the form of a box which could be used on a lap or table. The Writing Box, or Lap Desk, was born!

The first writing boxes symbolised intelligence, knowledge of commerce and the world, with style and fashion being a lesser priority at this time. For around 100 years from the late 1700s, the writing box featured strongly on military expeditions, travels, libraries and in drawing rooms. Famous literature, contracts, letters and postcards were written on it. The Writing Box was a personal possession, unlike the writing desk or table.

In the late 1700s, worldwide travel was not a simple affair. Travellers of all kinds, as well as Military staff needed compact & strong boxes, which could stand the test of long & arduous journeys. As a result, the Military, or Campaign box was created. The Captain’s, or Campaign Writing Box is much more mechanically complex and quite intriguing! These boxes are generally brass-bound, have secret drawers, candlesticks & a screw-down mechanism which comes out the bottom of the box and fixes it to a piece of furniture or ships deck, for security purposes but for particularly rough sea voyages. Boxes we come across of this style are rarely the same in terms of arrangement of secret compartments & drawers, adding to their character. Campaign & Military style Boxes were made and used well into the 19th century. Charles Dickens and Lord Byron were famous users of this type of Box.

In the early to mid 1800s letter writing became a hugely popular pass-time, especially amongst women – in particular, society ladies! This can be demonstrated by the smaller, lighter & more decorative styles made during this period. Features of these boxes include: the front cover of the box opens back to reveal a sloping surface for writing. This consists of a flap, under which paper can be stored. At the back is a section for inkwells and pens. Some of the most exquisite boxes date from this period.

The use of Lap Desks remained until late Victorian times when their popularity started to decrease, as they became more mass-produced & of lower quality.

We get great pleasure from acquiring and restoring these wonderful boxes. We often discover compartments that appear to have been untouched and forgotten about over the years. They often need replacement writing surfaces due to their age and continued use. We always try to restore as sympathetically as possible, so to do this we have our own antique leathering & book binding tools to restore the box to its formal glory.

Additional information