AN IMPORTANT VICTORIAN GOTHIC OAK AND IRON POSTING BOX DESIGNED BY A W N PUGIN FOR THE PALACE OF WES

AN IMPORTANT VICTORIAN GOTHIC OAK AND IRON POSTING BOX DESIGNED BY A W N PUGIN FOR THE PALACE OF WESTMINSTER, the mounts attributed to John Hardman, c1852 the lid with sloping sides to the traceried and rope edged letter slot faced with finely chiselled lion passant guardant, a satchel slung about its neck, flanked by banners the square, slightly projecting iron lock between rose panels and chip carved edges, the back with splayed foliate hinges, the ends having recessed panels carved with an ink bottle and crossed quills or ribbon on waterleaves with painted in white, gothic script (with red initial) The Post shall…. and, to each gable end of the lid a hooded falcon and further banner, the underside with substantial recessed lead weight held in place by two brass strips, 26.5cm h; 24 x 34.5cmProvenance: Private family ownership since the early 20th century or before.In a letter of 27 December 1851 Sir Charles Barry informed Pugin that "The drawings for the letter boxes were sent to Hardman as soon as I received them. I have this moment given Crace the drawings for the decoration of the blank lights [ie presumably the carved panels to the sides], received this morning with orders to proceed…. I enclose a diagram which he has made of the pannels [sic] and a list of the data for their decoration; and shall be very glad, if it were not be bothering you too much, if you would give the subject your deliberate attention… That would be most satisfactory". There is good reason to regard the present box as one of those referred to in this letter. One letter box was presumably intended for the House of Lords, the other the for House of Commons.The most notable feature of the box, the lion passant guardant from the Royal Arms of England, in crown and carrying a satchel, proclaims both his purpose and Palace of Westminster origin. Now, much obscured by rust, the very finely chiselled mounts are consistent with Hardman's work for Pugin For the same reason, in its present unrestored condition, together with a lack of specific documentary evidence, it cannot firmly be attributed to Crace or another maker. Pugin's habit of collecting medieval fragments of stained glass, wood and metalwork not only informed his own designs but were purposely to serve as models for his craftsmen, as he himself expressed in a letter of 1849 to J G Crace "… they will be very useful for no drawing can give these things".To take one of these objects, a 15th century French oak cabinet door still with its iron lock, as an example (now in the V & A; illustrated P Atterbury & C Wainwright, Pugin: A Gothic Passion 1994, fig 190) the similarity is obvious. The carving of birds in particular, deserves notice and on the iron lock the 'Y' shaped ornament and spiral detail both reappear in the ironwork on the present box.It would also appear to be the only extant example of a Pugin/Hardman posting box. It is moreover unusual for an 'unknown' object specifically designed for the Palace of Westminster to emerge from obscurity