Featured 1880s Victorian Ladies Writing & Dressing/Sewing Case

I bought this today. And it's beeeyoooteeeful.




Operational lock & key


Upon first opening. Lid flips over to produce writing-surface (complete with original blotting-paper)


Original inkwell (very rare), and storage-compartment (needs a bit of repair).


Flipside. Files. Picks. Dip-pens. Pencils. Pin-cushion. Button-hook. Handles are made of ivory. Original thread.


Central portion pops up, like so...





More pix coming soon, showing the stuff inside the box.

 

Nice!

 

I LOVE stuff like this ! Lucky you !

 

Very nice -- good for you!

 

Nice find! Was this used for traveling?

 

Hi MCT. Yes, it's designed for travelling. That's why it's so small and compact.

 

More pictures of the box and its contents.























Did a bit of tinkering with the box. Lubricated the lock, tied the key to the handle, replaced the blotting-paper, and put a temporary repair on the damaged storage-compartment next to the inkwell (will put a more permanent one there, when I have the time):



Compare with first image:

 

I love the updated photos!

 

I've discovered that this box actually has a secret compartment in it! I intend to rebuild it and make it functional again.

 

I don't know why I keep opening this thread.
I just have to clean the drool off of my keyboard again.
It is so very yummy.

 

I'm busy trying to figure out ways to repair the box and rebuild the secret compartment. So far, I've scrapped three previous designs, and I'm now working on the fourth...

 

You can send it to me and I'll fix it for you.

 

I've figured out how I'm gonna do it, now. Just gotta get the materials for it.

 

Neat box, just curious if any of the pen tips are gold

 

None of the pens are gold. They're all steel or copper or brass or something.

Gold nibs did exist, but they were usually hallmarked in some way.

 

That's a nice little travel case, the presence of the leather on the interior flap was usually a sign of good quality, and nice that the fabric has survived, often it was silk, which shattered with the years. If you're interested, the leather is most likely 'Russia', a bark-tanned cowhide/calfskin, treated on the back with an oil that helped prevent rot and insect damage - the rich red color and texture is typical, and it was very common on leather-bound boxes/cases like this ('Morocco' was also commonly used). Curious as to what makes the ink bottle 'very rare'?

~Cheryl

 

I've been after writing slopes for a long, long time. Most which I see, even the really nice ones, never have inkwells. They've all been lost, smashed up, broken in some way...And the ones which DO have inkwells cost two arms, a leg and your right eye. I remember one memorable occasion when a lady tried to sell a half-busted writing-slope for $500, and had the gall to call it "fully restored".

Conversation went something like this:

"Where's the other half of the writing-slope?"
"Don't have it"
"Where's the key?"
"Doesn't have one"
"Do you have the inkwell somewhere?"
"Doesn't have one"
"Why is it $500?"
"It's been restored!"
"...riiiiiiiiiight...Good luck selling this for half-a-grand."

I felt absolutely no obligation to be polite to someone who lies to their customers.

I am aware that you can buy reproduction inkwells online (screw-top ones of the style used in writing-slopes), but it's always better to have the original.

 

Eh, maybe it's a rare occurrence elsewhere, but in my personal experience with writing boxes or lap desks, unless they've just been completely stripped out, the ink bottles seem to usually be present, even those with silver tops...

~Cheryl

 

Maybe, but most of the ones I see, unless they're in SPECTACULAR condition (and very few ever are), they don't have half the things that they should.

And I don't think it's silver. Probably nickel or something. Or silver-plate.

 

Wasn't suggesting it was silver, just that those with silver tops are sometimes cannibalized because of the intrinsic value, or even because the inkwell can stand on its own merits...

Here's one similar that just sold, different color in what looks to be embossed calfskin, with brass handle and lock-plate, appears to have its original ink bottle and some original implements as well: http://www.ebay.com/itm/STUNNING-WR...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

~Cheryl