Elegant & rare antique French TAULIN, Palais Royal marked travel vanity & writing compendium, a beautiful chest in ebony with brass edging & inlay, "CM" monogrammed cartouche and full of many original sterling silver topped jars, lids, writing, sewing and dressing implements! Fabulous! The inner lock plate is marked "Taulin Fabt, 131 Palais Royal a Paris" so we know exactly where this one found it's first owner. The old Palais Royal, Paris, is there still, still a center of commerce, theater, dining, but in its origin it was the Palace of Cardinal Richelieu, and afterward because THE center for Royals and elites to shop, congregate socially. The items from the boutiques of the old Palais Royal remain museum pieces, highly sought after. These dressing travel chests are so rare to find now and almost never complete, even in museums. And every single piece of significant value and history. We do not know to whom this one first belonged but wouldn't it be fun to have that info. Beautifully made in the Napoleon III style with ebony or ebonized walnut veneers, heavy bronze edging and brass inlays throughout including an elegant foliate cartouche with "CM" monogram (notable here is that the writer's wax seal on the inside, along with all sterling jar tops bear the same monogram). Yes, there are several missing pieces or contents, as shown in the images, but still quite a few. Imagine the Grand Tour voyages this opulent chest has been on...
Very good condition. There are a few surface marks to the exterior of the box and some of the brown, likely walnut, showing around the brass strip inlays (wear to the ebony finish from years of polishing the brass). No missing inlays but a few slight 'lifts'. There is also a split in the bottom/base wood panel. As evidenced by the photos, there are several implements missing but the dip pen, wax seal, button hook and stiletto are there. Of the jars, the front toothbrush (wide & narrow) glass is missing but the lid remains. The two outer cologne or perfume bottles have chips to the necks but all stoppers are intact. Some dimples and denting to the perfume or cologne bottle lids. Two circular jars are missing (we have one of those lids). All lids bear the French Minerve or Minerva hallmark, the tiny number "1" means they're in .950 silver (95% pure). The silversmith marks are "ER" flanking a domino but we've not been able to find that in our reference book so far. HEAVY, the box and contents weigh 10 lbs 2 oz (4.6 kg). See pictures for all measurements.
