Antique French Silver-Plated Four-Piece Desk SetInkstand, Letter Rack, Blotter and Notepad Holder — France, Early 20th Century
Delivered free · US duties paid · Insured
The complete desk set was the Edwardian and early twentieth-century equivalent of the matched luggage set — an announcement that the person who sat here took their correspondence seriously, and that their desk was a place where things of consequence were written. The great French silverplate houses produced these ensembles in matched patterns, each piece sharing the same border profile, the same foot form, the same surface treatment, so that a desk furnished with the full set read as a single
One of one. When it’s gone, it’s gone.
Inkstand base 26.5 × 17 cm (10.4 × 6.7 in) · Height 13 cm (5.1 in) · Letter rack 14.7 × 13.9 cm (5.8 × 5.5 in) · Notepad holder 18.6 × 9.6 cm (7.3 × 3.8 in) · Blotter 13 × 7.4 cm (5.1 × 2.9 in)
Worldwide shipping included. No import charges for EU and US buyers.
Local import taxes may apply outside the EU and the US.
Prepared for you in 1–2 weeks. Most pieces ship within a week.
For Christmas delivery, order by 1 December.
Estimated delivery:
Need it sooner? Express takes about 3 days once shipped. Ask Kiet
Thinking it over, or showing it to someone first? I will set Antique French Silver-Plated Four-Piece Desk Set aside for you for 48 hours, free of charge.
Your hold request is in.
I will confirm it by email, usually the same day. Until then the piece is still on the site, so do not wait too long.
Not ready to decide? Leave your email and I will send you Antique French Silver-Plated Four-Piece Desk Set with a few extra photos, usually the same day.
Thank you, it is on its way to you.
I will email you this piece, usually the same day. Kiet
- Free shippingTracked and fully insured
- US duties paidNothing to pay at delivery
- 30-day returnsNo reason needed
- 4.9 / 5 rating47 reviews on Etsy
Before you ask
Will I pay import duties or tariffs?
No. I pay the US import duties and tariffs, so there is nothing to pay on delivery.
What if it arrives damaged?
Every piece is packed individually and fully insured. Send me a photo of the piece and the box, and I handle the claim with the carrier and agree the solution with you.
What if it doesn't suit my room?
You have 30 days to return it, no reason needed. For a change of mind, you pay the return shipping. How returns work
Antique French Silver-Plated Four-Piece Desk Set, Inkstand, Letter Rack, Blotter and Notepad Holder — France, Early 20th Century
- Period
- French Louis XV revival, early 20th century
- Materials
- silver-plated metal throughout; crystal inkwell with silver-plated lid; hallmarked on each piece
- Dimensions
- Inkstand base 26.5 × 17 cm (10.4 × 6.7 in) · Height 13 cm (5.1 in) · Letter rack 14.7 × 13.9 cm (5.8 × 5.5 in) · Notepad holder 18.6 × 9.6 cm (7.3 × 3.8 in) · Blotter 13 × 7.4 cm (5.1 × 2.9 in)
DETAILS:
Size: Inkstand base 26.5 × 17 cm (10.4 × 6.7 in) · Height 13 cm (5.1 in) · Letter rack 14.7 × 13.9 cm (5.8 × 5.5 in) · Notepad holder 18.6 × 9.6 cm (7.3 × 3.8 in) · Blotter 13 × 7.4 cm (5.1 × 2.9 in)
Material: silver-plated metal throughout; crystal inkwell with silver-plated lid; hallmarked on each piece
Style/Period: French Louis XV revival, early 20th century
Shipping: professionally packed, fully insured, worldwide
Condition: very good; silver plate bright and well matched across all four pieces; crystal inkwell sound; light honest wear consistent with use
Returns: accepted within 30 days
The complete desk set was the Edwardian and early twentieth-century equivalent of the matched luggage set — an announcement that the person who sat here took their correspondence seriously, and that their desk was a place where things of consequence were written. The great French silverplate houses produced these ensembles in matched patterns, each piece sharing the same border profile, the same foot form, the same surface treatment, so that a desk furnished with the full set read as a single considered object rather than an accumulation of individual pieces. A complete set, all four pieces present and matching, is considerably rarer than the individual components.
This ensemble is French, early twentieth century, in silver-plated metal, hallmarked on each piece. The four items share a shaped cartouche border — the rocaille-influenced outline with its concave curves and acanthus-scroll feet that places the set in the Louis XV revival tradition popular in the better French silverplate houses of the Belle Époque and early century. The inkstand is the centrepiece: a shaped tray on four scroll feet, with a pen rest ledge in reeded metal and a crystal inkwell with a silver-plated hinged lid topped with a ribbed ball knop. The letter rack stands on four matching scroll feet, its shaped back panel following the same border profile as the tray; the notepad holder is a flat-bordered frame in the same pattern; and the blotter rocker completes the set, its curved underside and shaped top handle consistent with the ensemble throughout. Note how the hallmark appears on each piece individually — the mark of a house that understood its customers would check, and that matching marks across a set are the proof of provenance a collector looks for.
Whoever wrote their letters at this desk before you kept the full set together and in fine order. The silver plate is bright and well matched across all four pieces; the crystal inkwell is sound; the wear is the light, honest kind that comes from regular use on a working desk. The set is ready for its next desk.
It arrives professionally packed and fully insured. Returns are accepted within 30 days.
Condition & electrical details
Condition
Read our condition standard. Please ask if you need additional photographs or measurements.
A decorative style is not a guarantee of a particular maker or date. See the individual listing for the stated attribution and period.
Shipping, insurance & duties
Worldwide delivery is included in the price. Every piece is individually packed, tracked and fully insured. No shipping charge is added at checkout. If your destination is not listed, please contact us before ordering.
European Union: no customs and no import charges. Delivery usually takes 2–5 working days after dispatch.
United States: Maison Jaspers pays the tariffs and import duties for you.
United Kingdom: UK import VAT is payable on delivery (5% for antiques over 100 years old, otherwise 20%).
Other destinations: local import taxes may apply and are payable by the recipient. Contact us before ordering if you would like guidance.
Dispatch timing is shown above.
Returns
Notify us within 30 days of delivery if you wish to return a piece. No reason is required. Returns are free within the Netherlands and Belgium; from elsewhere you pay return shipping for a change-of-mind return.
Choose options
Related pieces
Art Nouveau / Jugendstil style; vintage