Beautiful 18ct Gold Mounted Louis XVI French Billet Doux Love Letter Holder

  

BEAUTIFUL RARE 18CT GOLD MOUNTED LOUIS XVI FRENCH BILLET DOUX - LOVE LETTER HOLDER. This is a beautiful rare and very special Georgian 18th Century finely crafted 18ct gold mounted oval Louis XVI Billet Doux- Love letter Holder, this wonderful rare example i believe to be crafted in France for the French court of the 18th Century, i estimate this dates to circa 1770 making it over 245 years old, This Carved Oval French billet doux is of such beauty and elegance, the smooth body and rounded edges create such a very elegant effect which contrast beautifully with the 18ct gold mount to the centre of the Billet Doux, this mount is wonderful with with beaded decoration which in turn is framed top and bottome with smooth banding, so much work has gone into the crafting of this extremely rare 18th century Billet Doux - Love letter holder , its breath taking, the quality of the craftsmanship is superb, it must certainly have carried the love letters of someone from among the Courtiers of Marie-Antoinette and Louis XVI's era or shortly thereafter. A very romantic item, the billet doux was the etui into which a rolled scroll of a love letter might be passed along or hand delivered by one's servant. A courrier's'envelope' of sorts, these became so associated with the intimate love notes carried within, that today the term is itself a romantic one, the quality of the craftsmanship is superb.

These came in a myriad of forms, many survive and we see them in museums around the world. This one could well be on display in the Musee des Arts Decoratif in the Louvre in Paris, where many similar etui fascinate visitors every day. The Billet Doux is just over 5.5 inches in length, sometimes is confused as being a needles case, though of course it is not. The gold Mount has been tested and is 18ct gold, as you can see it is a pull off top and this 18th century Billet Doux is in wonderful condition. The Billet Doux, Literally a sweet note, it is the term for a love letter, essentially and often rolled and sent by courrier inside a beautiful tube like the one on offer here for sale, the tube is itself known as a billet doux for this reason, used in many centuries. This would have once belonged to a very wealthy French Lady of Court and been used i would say on many occassion to carry love letters, this was many many years ago when times were so very different, if this could talk i can just imagine what fascinating stories it could tell, this is so very tactile and once held it has the most wonderful feel. This will add something very special to any collection, my photos dont do it justice. It is in wonderful condition. You will not find another like this on the market, it is very special and extremely rare.

Just over 5.5 inches length. The item "BEAUTIFUL 18CT GOLD MOUNTED LOUIS XVI FRENCH BILLET DOUX LOVE LETTER HOLDER" is in sale since Saturday, August 17, 2019.

This item is in the category "Antiques\Silver\Solid Silver\Boxes". The seller is "silver_treasures" and is located in ledbury. This item can be shipped worldwide.

• Product: Boxes
• Style: Georgian
• Age: Pre-1800
• Pattern: 18th century