French Antique Tantalus Box in Shape of Leather Bound Books With 2 Liquor Decanters & 5 Shot Glasses

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Here is a tantalizing offer for the purchase of a very nice French antique tantalus box appearing to be a … Read more Here is a tantalizing offer for the purchase of a very nice French antique tantalus box appearing to be a stack of leather bound books. But unlike the poor mythological Tantalus, who disrespected the Greek gods and stole their ambrosia and nectar resulting in his being eternally punished in the underworld by being placed in a pool of water beneath a fruit tree, with both the water and fruit perpetually receding whenever he tried to reach them to quench his thirst and satisfy his hunger; you can go beyond the tantalizing thought to the reality of owning this nice piece of barware.

And, incidentally, as you might have surmised by now, the tantalus box is named after the unfortunate Tantalus due to a clever analogy. His punishment perfectly mirrors the tantalus box, where the decanters are hidden away from sight and out of the grasp of anyone trying to reach them . . . the temptation remains just out of reach. And, yes, as you have probably surmised by now, the word "tantalize," meaning to torment or tease by presenting something desirable but keeping it out of reach, also originates from the myth of Tantalus.

The condition of this box and its two gold trimmed decanters and five gold trimmed shot glasses is very nice with only minimal signs of age and use. There are no chips or cracks in the glassware, and their gold trim is in very fine condition. On the bottom of the box, the words "Made In France" are etched in gold. The approximate measurements are: 8.5 inches tall (opened), 5 1/8 inches tall (closed), 8 6/8 inches wide, and 5 6/8 inches deep. Please examine the photos for detail. See less