18th Century French Embossed Leather Letter Box, “Coffret a Courrier”

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Known in France as a coffret à courrier, this leather letter box from the 1700s would have been used to … Read more Known in France as a coffret à courrier, this leather letter box from the 1700s would have been used to conceal private papers or valuables. The leather of the sloped-front lid has been embossed with a border of tooling and a flowering plant in the four upper corners. In the center of the lid is a much larger foliate cluster, with eight radial flowers above each of the terminals of the leaf. A brass handle facilitates the opening of the lid, revealing six compartments of various sizes. The lid and all six letter compartments are upholstered with a red silk that has a high count of “floating” threads that give the fabric a radiating, luxurious hue that is surrounded by golden gimp embellished with flowers. Beneath the large, sinuous key escutcheon is a thin pull-out drawer, which also has a brass handle and red silk upholstery. The shape and the materials used in the construction of the leather letter box indicate that it was probably used as a desk accessory in a library, study, or office of an affluent French home. See less