A writing box, also known as a writing slope or lap desk, is a portable wooden box that opens to form a sloping writing surface, with compartments inside for paper, pens, ink and correspondence. It allowed letters to be written comfortably at a table, by the fireside or while travelling.
Writing boxes were made throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, reaching the height of their popularity in the Georgian and Victorian periods, when letter writing was a central part of daily life. Typical examples are made in mahogany, rosewood, walnut or coromandel, often with brass corners and inlaid escutcheons, and open to reveal a leather or baize writing surface over a storage well. Inside, removable trays hold glass inkwells and pens, and many conceal secret drawers. Military and travelling versions have sunken handles and brass-bound edges for protection. Tunbridge ware, papier-mâché and Anglo-Indian examples form specialised collecting areas. Buyers look for original fittings, inkwells and keys, sound veneer, good quality brass and an unfaded writing surface. Antique writing boxes remain practical today for storing papers and are often used as decorative objects on desks and side tables.
