{"product_id":"antique-french-art-nouveau-walnut-burlwood-stamp-box-with-pierced-vermeil-silver-lid-c-1890s","title":"French Art Nouveau walnut burlwood stamp box, c. 1890's","description":"\u003ch3\u003eAbout this piece\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eA stamp box seems like a modest thing to dress up in vermeil silver, and yet here we are. The lid carries a pierced silver cover, gilded and worked into flowing floral and foliate scrollwork in the Art Nouveau manner, set over a base of burr walnut whose swirling grain holds its own against the metalwork on top. It likely came from a workshop in Paris or Nancy, the two centers most associated with this kind of small-scale luxury silverwork during the Belle Époque, when even the accessories on a writing desk were expected to carry some ornament.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eBoxes like this one did double duty as vide-poches or snuff boxes depending on the household, since Belle Époque desk accessories were rarely as single-purpose as their names suggested. It's a small, decorative piece for anyone drawn to French silver of the period, or who simply likes the look of gilt metalwork against a good, dark grain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCondition notes\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\" style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\"\u003eExcellent antique condition. Minor surface crazing to the wood on the lid, appropriate to age and characteristic of antique burr walnut. Light wear to the vermeil gilding, adding to the authentic antique charm. No hallmarks, which is typical for small luxury boxes of this period.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rita's Bazaar","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54035578257741,"sku":"A4326","price":285.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0975\/4191\/4957\/files\/antique-french-art-nouveau-walnut-burlwood-box-vermeil-silver-c1890s_32bda73a-83f4-4057-a3d5-c872988beea4.webp?v=1780945724","url":"https:\/\/ritasbazaar.co.uk\/products\/antique-french-art-nouveau-walnut-burlwood-stamp-box-with-pierced-vermeil-silver-lid-c-1890s","provider":"Rita’s Bazaar","version":"1.0","type":"link"}