Desk gadget from 1902
Remember the good old days before email, when you needed to write a letter on paper, stick it in an envelope, put a stamp on it and then walk to the mailbox in the street to post it? And then wait for a few weeks to get a reply?
It seems a long time ago now but this was, at some point, very modern. So modern that a distinguished gentleman would need a stamp box on his desk to show his modernity and efficiency in doing business. And if you were very important, well then you needed a really important stamp box.
This stamp box was made by Royal Worcester in 1902 and in the documentation it is called "Royal Stamp Box", suggesting it was designed for King Edward.
You see, Queen Victoria, who was perhaps the most well-loved queen in history and had been on the throne since 1837, died in 1901. It must have been rather terrifying for her son Edward to take over and fill the huge gap this phenomenally powerful woman left behind. And what better way for a man to give himself some confidence than to have a killer gadget on his desk?
This little stamp box has it all: pure white porcelain, cherubs working very hard to hold the box up, lots of gilt, a lid with a finial that looks like the top of a military helmet of the time, growling gilt dragons on either end and masks embossed into the sides of the box.
This is an extremely rare item - I have never seen it before and very little is written about it. It is also in absolutely perfect condition, which is rare for such a fragile item. So this is a very unique find!
Like last week, I have lots of wonderful new stock, see below. Some of it is high-end, but as usual there are also small items for all the faithful collectors among you, and I will keep those coming for the holidays.
You can find all these items here in my shop. If you always want to see the latest additions, follow me on Instagram... I post pictures and a story every single day!
Happy weekend, and if you are tired of emails, write a letter to someone! 💌📬✍️
This week's new treasures:
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