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Brass bound Georgian Solid Mahogany Triple Opening
Writing Box circa 1810.
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high resolution
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Description:
Ref: 860WB http://hygra.com/box/860WB
Brass bound and accented solid mahogany triple opening writing box
in the military style with countersunk carrying handles; the fitted
compartmentalized interior with places for pens and papers, a gold
embossed red morocco leather document wallet in the lid, a
replacement green leather writing surface, secret drawers behind a
sprung panel beneath the pen tray. The box retains two original
screw top inkwells.
Origin: UK ; Circa:
1810 ; Materials:
Mahogany, brass.
Size: 35 cm wide by 24.8 cm by 12.5 cm:
13.8 inches wide
by 9.8 inches by 4'9 inches.
Condition: good
overall; working lock and key; see images
Keywords: Hygra.com, Antique
box, dovetail construction, writing box, triple opening, military
style, campaign, writing box, secret drawers,
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The box with the writing surface folded up. The ink stains bear
witness to early pencraft accidents!
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| The embossed red Morocco leather on the back is original. |
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The top flap opens to a document envelope. The back retains tapes for
holding notes.
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The embossed green leather writing surface is a replacement.
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The box has the usual compartments for inkwells and a curved
pen tray.
There is a large place for storage of paper
There is a sprung panel concealing secret drawers.
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The panel concealing the secret drawers is released by pressing
the side wall in front.
As pressure is applied the sprung panel is released. The mechanism is
made entirely of wood.
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The drawers have turned bone pulls.
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Part closed.
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The screw top inkwells have cut facetted shoulders and are period
with the box.
The bottles are blown in a heated mold.
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The screw top inkwells have
leather washers.
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The box is constructed with double blind dovetail joins.
Dovetail joints:
The dovetail joint is one of the
wonders of woodwork. In the full blind none of the careful work is
visible. If the joint is simply mitered it will not survive
atmospheric change. A mitered joint is end grain to end grain. The
glue soaks in, becomes dry and brittle and falls apart.
The dovetail joint enables side
grain to be glued to side grain. These joints would hold together
without glue!
It is the true proof of these
dovetail joints made by craftsmen 200 years ago that their joints are
as they made them.
This image is courtesy
of
This image is courtesy
of Fine Woodworking Techniques 1978 Taunton Press inc. ISBN:
0918804027
You can
order the Fine Woodworking Techniques from Amazon by
clicking one of the links below:
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Extract: Choosing and Making the right
joints by Tage Frid.
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The box has countersunk carrying handles.
This form of the handle was only used for a short time at the end of
the 18th Cent. and the beginning of the 19th.
The main block of brass will have been cast. The handle too is cast.
It will have been brought to final slightly crooked shape by filing.
The wood worker who had to fit it with this degree of accuracy will
have to have spent a lot of time.
Later boxes have a more full form and are more manufactured.
The handle seems to be screwed to the box with brass screws which have
been ground flat to the surface.
Earlier boxes have steel screws! |
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The brass is held in place by brass pins which have been ground flat
with the surface. They are just visible.
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| The solid mahogany top is iconic with its spear shaped
accents.
The escutcheon and the corner pieces will have been cast and filed to
shape.
The wood has been routed out for the brass with incredible accuracy.
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Icoic.
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All text and images and linked images are ©
1999-2015 Antigone Clarke and Joseph O'Kelly. If you require any further
information on permitted use, or a licence to republish any material, email us
at copyright@hygra.com
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