{"product_id":"collection-of-four-monumental-19th-century-french-leather-gilt-notaire-archive-boxes-1845-1882","title":"Collection of Four Monumental 19th-Century French Leather \u0026 Gilt Notaire Archive Boxes, 1845–1882, Faux Books.","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"ul1\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"li1\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eCollection:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s3\"\u003e Four original French notarial archive\/document boxes\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"li1\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eCountry of origin:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s3\"\u003e France\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"li1\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003ePeriod:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s3\"\u003e 19th century\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"li1\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eDates:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s3\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e1845, 1850, 1857 \u0026amp; 1882\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"li1\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eNotaire:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s3\"\u003e Three gilt-titled \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e“Mᵉ GOYON – NOTAIRE”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s3\"\u003e; 1882 example bears a different, partially worn notaire's name\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"li1\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eMaterials:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s3\"\u003e Heavy board, leather spines, gilt tooling and lettering, decorative marbled paper\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"li1\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eOriginal details:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s3\"\u003e Remnants of ribbon closures; one box retains a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003ebrass ring pull\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"li1\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eMaker\/Supplier:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s3\"\u003e The 1850 box retains an original trade label for \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eImprimerie Onfroy-Ranchard, Évreux\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"li1\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eApproximate size:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s3\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e27 cm high × 20 cm wide × 15 cm deep each\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"li1\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eCondition:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s3\"\u003e Original antique condition with considerable age-related wear, rubbing, losses and marks to leather, paper and edges; worn and mellowed gilding; ribbon closures incomplete. Please refer closely to photographs.\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"li1\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eContents:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s3\"\u003e Empty\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"li1\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eQuantity:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s3\"\u003e Four\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"li1\"\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eSale:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s3\"\u003e Sold together as one collection\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eA wonderfully atmospheric collection of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003efour large 19th-century French notarial archive boxes\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e, dating from \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e1845 to 1882\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e, with beautifully aged leather spines, original gilt-tooled decoration and lettering, richly coloured marbled papers and surviving remnants of their original ribbon closures.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eCreated for use in French notarial offices, these substantial document boxes were designed to sit on library shelving alongside the great leather-bound legal folios and registers of the period. Their leather spines were individually decorated and titled in gold with the name of the notaire, the relevant semester and year.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eThree of the collection are gilt-titled \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e“Mᵉ GOYON – NOTAIRE”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e and dated \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e1845, 1850 and 1857\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e, giving us a fascinating twelve-year sequence from the same 19th-century notarial office.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eThe fourth example dates to \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e1882\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e and carries the gilt name of another notaire, now partially obscured by more than 140 years of wear. This particularly characterful box also retains a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003ebrass ring pull\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e, adding another wonderful decorative detail to the collection.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eThe \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e1850 Goyon box retains its original pink trade label for Imprimerie Onfroy-Ranchard of Évreux\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e, providing a rare surviving connection to the 19th-century printer and stationer that supplied the box.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eThe sides and bodies are covered with wonderful \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003emarbled papers\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e, their colours now softly faded and worn with age. Remnants of the original \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003eribbon ties and closures\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e also survive, providing lovely evidence of how these boxes were originally secured and used.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eWhat makes this collection particularly special is the combination of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003eleather, gold tooling, marbled paper, typography and genuine patina\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e. When the four are displayed together, their enormous gilt-lettered spines have all the visual presence of a collection of ancient French folio volumes.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eThese are not modern decorative faux books. They are \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003egenuine 19th-century working archive boxes\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e, and their wear is an integral part of their appeal. The leather is rubbed and distressed, gilding has mellowed and disappeared in places, papers have marks and losses, and the ribbon closures are fragmentary. We have deliberately left them unrestored, preserving the wonderfully authentic character accumulated through generations of use.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eToday they make an exceptional \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003edecorative collection for a library, study, home office or country-house interior\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e. They would look magnificent displayed amongst antique books, paintings, bronzes and objects of curiosity, or incorporated into a beautifully layered bookshelf or library scheme.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eTheir scale and unmistakably French character would equally suit an \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003einterior designer, boutique hotel, private members' club, restaurant, film or television production\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e looking for genuine period atmosphere.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eA wonderfully evocative survival from the world of the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003e19th-century French notaire\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e — and an increasingly difficult type of decorative antique to find as a collection.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003eSold as a collection of four.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"French General Trading","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58604562448765,"sku":null,"price":595.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0017\/7694\/3177\/files\/06A9FF46-308E-4591-9F10-99CD9EC75858.jpg?v=1788030665","url":"https:\/\/www.frenchgeneraltrading.co.uk\/products\/collection-of-four-monumental-19th-century-french-leather-gilt-notaire-archive-boxes-1845-1882","provider":"French General Trading","version":"1.0","type":"link"}