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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Shangas, post: 105564, member: 360&quot;]<b>Alright, hold yer horses, I&#039;m here now. </b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>Date?</b> Mid-late 1800s. Once the fountain pen showed up around 1890-1910, the writing slope died a VERY quick death. By the Edwardian era I think there almost none left being manufactured. I&#039;ve never come across one made after 1900, and I&#039;ve been chasing writing slopes for the better part of 30 years.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Value?</b> In that condition. Not much. Under $50.</p><p><br /></p><p>In fully-restored condition, a few hundred bucks.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Style?</b> What you&#039;ve got here is a &#039;double-opening&#039; box, comprised of three sections. They were fairly common, but were generally more up-market.</p><p><br /></p><p>Cheaper, single-opening boxes were easier to make and are *generally* more common. This is almost certainly a ladies&#039; box. I suspect it would&#039;ve contained spaces in it for a sewing-box, a dressing case or other such accessories, when it was brand new.</p><p><br /></p><p>Boxes like these were designed to hold all kinds of things - I strongly suspect that there&#039;s a LOT of this box that&#039;s gone missing. They wouldn&#039;t have left such HUGE gaps underneath the lid and put nothing in there - the space was far too valuable not to use.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>They are called many things...</b> Writing boxes, writing slopes, box-desks, lap-desks, travelling desks, campaign desks...the list goes on, and on, and on.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>It is missing...</b></p><p><br /></p><p>The lock.</p><p>The key.</p><p>The upper writing-leaf.</p><p>The inkstand assembly.</p><p>The curved pen-rest. </p><p>The threaded-top inkwell (you can see the inkstain in the corner where it would&#039;ve gone).</p><p><br /></p><p>Possibly also missing a drop-in tray which would&#039;ve held a dressing-set. Mirror, scissors, nail-file, etc etc. </p><p><br /></p><p>These boxes are very simply put together. You have two writing leaves (wooden panels) which are hinged using a reinforcing strip, and a covering-layer of leather or velvet, sometimes reinforced on the underside of the hinge with extra fabric. That is IT. No hinges. No nails. No screws. No rivets. Glue and fabric/leather. That is how they were made, and that is how you will have to restore it, if you wish to.</p><p><br /></p><p>The leaves are supposed to open and shut to access storage underneath. Your writing box has an upper storage compartment (where the upper writing-leaf would also be the lid), but no lower storage-compartment (due to the design of the box).</p><p><br /></p><p>A box like this will have a very simple, one-lever lock (made of brass) which fits into the space behind the keyhole. It&#039;ll just screw into place with a couple of screws.</p><p><br /></p><p>Antique writing slopes are tricky to value. The most TRASHED ones are on sale for hundreds, or they can be on sale for twenty bucks. But restored, these things can go for anywhere from $300 to $3,000+. I have one in my possession which if I ever sell it (not bloody likely), I&#039;d want at least three grand, and not a penny less.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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