A stationery box is a container for writing paper, envelopes, cards and other correspondence materials, made to sit on a desk or writing table. Many have a sloping front or lid and an interior divided into graduated compartments, so that paper and envelopes of different sizes stand upright and can be easily reached.
Stationery boxes became popular in the Victorian and Edwardian periods, when the volume of letter writing rose sharply with the arrival of cheap postage. They were made in a wide range of materials, including oak, walnut, mahogany, rosewood and coromandel, often with brass mounts, Gothic or Aesthetic detailing, or inlay, while others were decorated with Tunbridge ware, papier-mâché, leather or silver. Some formed part of matching desk sets with blotters, letter racks and inkstands, and high-quality examples were retailed by fashionable London firms whose names may appear on the lock or lid. Buyers should look for original keys, working locks, intact interior divisions and good colour, as well as the presence of a retailer's name. A stationery box remains a practical and handsome addition to a desk or library table.
