Amboyna Chinese Export Writing Slope

A China Trade brass bound, amboyna Writing Slope or Portable Desk.

The desk is edged in brass with two brass bands around the middle and brass to the top of the drawer front and the slope when opened. The secondary timber is an Asian hardwood that is well figured to the grain in places. Once the box is opened, a square brass sprung button is released unlocking the drawer to the side.

The dark blue velvet writing surface has a border of ebony veneer. The bottom half of the slope has two brass slide bolts to lock it with a plain storage area below. The top half also has a plain well below it but gives access to the three secret drawers. These are hidden by a sprung facia board which is released by pressing a hidden button underneath the lidded compartment to the desk tidy. The desk tidy is a little unusual in that the knob handle to the lid is brass as opposed to wood or ivory and the pen tray is flat and covered in velvet rather than concave and ebonised.

This writing slope is a good size, well made and retains its original key. The amboyna also makes it stand out as a better quality box today as it did when first made. Early to mid 19th Century.

Closed size is given.