ANTIQUE Writing Case W. & J. MILNE Edinburgh DOCUMENT BOX Pens INKWELL 1844-59See original listing |
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Item condition:
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“The outer covering is missing, and the case interior is in as found, but intact condition. A ” ... Read more |
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Ended:
Aug 01, 2013
06:40:13 PDT
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Shipping:
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Item location:
Fairfield, Ohio, United States
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Seller:
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| Seller Notes: | “The outer covering is missing, and the case interior is in as found, but intact condition. A restorer's dream.” |
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| Maker: | W. & J. MILNE | Age: | 1844-1859 |
| Primary Material: | WOOD & RED LEATHER | Original/Reproduction: | Original |
The fitted boxes by W. & J. Milne of Edinburgh are legendary for quality workmanship and unique design, but also important in that they were literally “fit for a king;” or queen or other individuals at the highest levels of society from 1844 up until 1905. Find one today that has either remained in fine condition or been restored by a handful of specialists, and you are likely to spend thousands of dollars. Many however, simply say “Price upon Request,” which put in terms understood by most of us means: “Hit the road. You can’t afford it.”
Presented here is an early example from between the day they opened for business in 1844, and the day they moved from 33 Hanover Street to Princes Street in 1859. Good News / Bad News: Both the good and the bad are easily stated in one sentence. “Because the exterior has lost its fine leather covering, you most likely won’t have to bid up into the thousands to own it.”
I will never own another, that I know, which is the reason I toyed with putting a lacquer finish on it, keeping it and pretending I’d been born into high society. Fortunately, I came to my senses and left it “as found” so you can do whatever you can afford.
It is 15” by 10 ½” by 5 ¼” deep. It is not a “writing slope” or a “lap desk” or anything else so bourgeois. I have clung to it with all the passion of a certified paranoid screaming about his or her 2nd Amendment rights, but I’ve found a way to deal with it. I’m simply releasing it back into the wild. (No – I’m not calling my fellow eBayists “the wild.” Relax – it’s just an expression. Go take a pill or something.)
An Apology If you are browsing eBay using a hand-held device of some sort, you’re probably already gone since my embedded images take time to load. I realize you most likely have all the patience of a fruit fly with ADD, but go find some old coot with a big noisy desktop and take a good close look.
See that inkwell’s head poking up over there on the right? I’m going to show you several pictures of that. Then several pictures of the box. Then I’m going to go have a good cry.
Don’t start twisting and prying at the lid, Gol-dang-it! There is a secret button under the leather. See my arrows. Push it, and the lid pops open. Think of it as a “Transformer.”
It is a traveling inkwell.
“K. K. PR?” Take a little time, relax, do a little reading about the Habsburg Austrian Empire.
Other than the outer covering thing, there is but one other very minor issue. There is a small split on the back corner.
More images and commentary continue below my three "Prime Directives:"
Arrows point to latch that allows inner lid to open – revealing even more compartments.
I don’t have the key.
NO DISAPPOINTMENTS
GOOD LUCK
My preferred method of payment is PayPal. Buyer pays actual cost of fully insured shipping, very safely packed. All Customs forms will state the actual selling price of items shipped internationally. If you have further questions about this item, please ask via eBay’s “My Messages.” For more complex questions about the doodad I’m selling; or if you’ve waited until the last few minutes before it sells, I have a phone number for CUSTOMER SUPPORT – (513) 254-7537 Click here to go have a look at my other auctions. |
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