Featured Desk Box

Picked this up today, european, late 18th C. I don't think it's English because of the hinges, they look Germanic to me but, that covers A LOT of ground in Europe, Swiss, Austrian, NL, etc.
Any idea what country this desk box is from?

 

It sure looks like someone got carried away with the hardware !!!!

 

Eek!

 

LOL, Well, I am a hardware kinda guy! Main reason i like it, that brass escutcheon ain't bad either plus it has the lock, no key though.

Yes, dated 1771, the script doesn't look english to me either
and yes, it is very MICE! lol i like it, small repair to the front of lid but that's OK with me.

 

She did it again!!

 

lol yep, See's that, went from mice to rats!

 

Hi,
Your statement of mice to rats reminded me of a scene from Brooklyn. The church was having a blessing of the animals on St Francis Day. One little black girl had a cage with two mice in the cage waiting in line for them to be blessed. A middle aged Italian woman from the neighborhood looked in the cage and started screaming. "Help me Jesus that girl has a cage full of RATS." I started to die of laughter since I wondered what she would have said if she turned around and saw the 12 foot python that was draped over the guys shoulders and arms next to her.
greg

 

More like rodential. Was once on an airplane waiting to take off when a murmur went up from rows farther back that there were snakes on board. The flight attendant who went back to check returned up the aisle holding a plastic bag out as far in front of her as her arm would go. Live eels, I believe.

 

@Bronwen - Man, I use to Love it when he'd say, "thank you. Thank you very much!" Long live Elvers!
.

 

I don't know if the elvers left the building, but they were removed from under the seat in front of the passenger. Expression on flight attendant's face was great, a blend of repulsion with a waitress's smile. Bet they were heavy, too.

 

@Bronwen - Were they shrieking?
.

 

Some of the passengers were ready to.

 

VERY nice box James, lovely old wood .. can you say what kind of wood it is ? ... Joy.

 

For the painted date to be original, then the finish on the whole box has to be original (since it looks like the date is simply painted on top of the clear wood finish). Do you think it is?

 

It's oak, boarded

And where is that box from INH? the 1s are very similar

 

I was thinking oak & now see James says it is. There's a degree of similarity with this one:

https://www.antiques-atlas.com/antique/small_queen_anne_antique_oak_writing_slope/as111a3533

It was the closest match in a search for 'antique oak writing slope'.