This is a  good 18th century lignum vitae  coffee grinder in full working order, having a folding handle on the top.  This can be stored in the base when not in use. The lower section has a screw thread to gain access to the metal grinder and the base  to retrieve any ground coffee or as said before, to house the folding handle. This lovely grinder has a n old chip repair, it has a lovely colour and patina the lovely crackled effect that old lignum vitae goes over several hundreds of years.C1770This has a good provenance having been part of the Levi collection with one of his collection labels on the base.This coffee grinder measures approx 15cm h x 10.5cm w at the base.The first coffee house was believed to have opened in the UK in Oxford 1651/2 closely followed by one opening in London. Coffee houses began to spring up all over London and in cities around the Uk. They were meeting places for men, women were excluded from these coffee houses and so was alcohol! Men wou...