Louis 14 Period Messenger Box In Leather-covered Wood - Box - France - 17th 18th

Magnificent Louis XIV period messenger box, late 17th and early 18th centuries. This pretty box is made of leather-covered wood decorated with copper nails forming scrolls and flowers on the front of the box. Some nails are shaped like flowers themselves. This rare box also has a beautiful wrought iron latch lock and handle on top of the wrought iron lid. Some edges are decorated with copper plates also serving as reinforcements. The interior is covered with an old striped silk fabric in red, green and yellow-gold colors. Due to its age and use, the box has many defects, particularly in the leather and the hinge. Rare box in its original condition with a beautiful old patina, which gives it all its charm.
France - late 17th early 18th century

The Louis XIV style is a style of furnishing covering more or less the period of the reign of Louis XIV (1661 to 1715). This style is characterized by the majesty and richness of its furniture. The Louis XIV style follows the Louis XIII style. The furniture is increasingly luxurious, but unlike previous styles, it is almost no longer inspired by architecture. There are two types of furniture: ceremonial furniture richly decorated with veneers and marquetry (notably from André-Charles Boulle), furniture in solid gilded wood and bourgeois furniture in solid wood. The style is characterized above all by its absolute symmetry and an important and ostentatious dimension. The Louis XIV style is Italian and antique inspired. The style appeared with the advent of the reign of Louis XIV in 1661 and lasted until the end of the 17th century. In 1690, on the death of Lebrun, decorator to the king, the style declined and was gradually replaced by the Regency style. The Palace of Versailles is obviously extremely and lastingly marked by the Louis XIV style. His long reign allowed him to impose the unique style of the Grand Siècle and leave a lasting imprint on the decorative arts of this period of classicism. The Louis XIV style will also reach its peak when the royal court moved to Versailles in 1682. ​