Wonderful to find a top-notch, highly decorative and most unusual desk set, French in origin dating to around 1860. Made from nutty coloured burl Walnut, all three pieces are mounted with the most wonderful polished brass mounts all inset with fabulous hand painted porcelain plaques.Our restorer had to remove all the mounts to professionally clean and on doing so found the name of the figure depicted on the plaques, ''Ninon De Lenclos'' a French Author, Courtesan, Freethinker and Patron of the Arts.The set is made up of a Stationery box with brass swing handles each side; the box complete with a working tasselled key. The box opens to reveal the wonderful original gilded leather lining with the original paper lining the sides of the dividers. The lock and hinges are beautifully engraved, a true sign of quality.The next piece is a hefty large oval Walnut Inkstand with a large glass inkwell to the rear, the brass on top inset with two larger porcelain plaques; the sides inset...