Offered by Franck Baptiste Paris
Slightly domed rectangular case, covered in blind-stamped brown leather and enhanced with gilded motifs.
The front is centered by two quartered shields, bearing the fleurs-de-lis of France in the 1st and 4th quarters and the crowned dauphin, the heraldic emblem of the Dauphin of France, in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. This coat of arms refers to Louis de France, known as the Grand Dauphin (1661-1711), eldest son of Louis XIV.
The decoration is completed with geometric frames and stylized fleuron patterns, in a style typical of Parisian productions of the late 17th century. The case is fitted with a wrought iron lock with a cut-out hasp and a top handle for carrying.
The interior is lined with old marbled paper and silk laces.
Beech wood frame. Beautifully preserved, with minor wear and tear to the leather and its decoration.
Parisian work from the Louis XIV period, second half of the 17th century.
Dimensions: Height: 18.5 cm; Width: 39 cm; Depth: 27 cm
Our opinion:
These leather-covered boxes, supplied by the Parisian workshops of the Garde-Meuble de la Couronne, were used to store titles, papers, and precious objects in royal and princely apartments. Comparable examples, also bearing the arms of the Grand Dauphin, are held in the collections of the Bibliothèque nationale de France and the Palace of Versailles.
