Tunbridge Ware – Leather-Hinged Document Holder c1855

Description

Heading : Tunbridge Ware – Leather-Hinged Document Holder 
Date : c1855
Period : Victorian
Origin : Tunbridge Wells; England
Decoration : Front cover has a large isometric cube design to it. on a flat surface. surrounded by four convex. curved edges to give a pillowed shape overall; these edges have a small Berlin woo-work frieze enclosed by two sets of three continuous and banded key-line stringing inserts with plain veneer to the outermost edge; the back cover is to the identical profile. but with an undecorated. single piece of plain veneer applied; inside. both covers lined with original paper; they are held together down the long edge (portrait style) with the original leather hinge. which retains enough flexibility to give the covers a capacity of around 10mm
Size : 21.6 cm deep x 14.0 cm wide – perfect for the latest iPad mini !
Condition : Excellent – all tesserae present and correct; minor scratches to the outer surfaces; the leather hinge is rather stiff with a couple of small splits to the outside. but this could be brought back to life with careful treatment; internal lining paper cracked down the centre fold line. but otherwise firmly adhered
Restoration : none
Weight :  377 grams

Notes : The general appearance of this item and the lining paper – shared with a labelled pin-cushion lidded box we have seen – indicates that it was made in the workshops of Edmund Nye; if the lining paper on the two pieces can be considered generally contemporary with the type of label used. that gives us the date as listed. Bear in mind that Thomas Barton was essentially Nye’s foreman at this time. and went on to produce similar pieces when the company devolved to him after Nye’s death in 1863