In the 19th and 20th century a letter or correspondence would be folded and sealed with a wax seal, in order to potect the unwanted opening of the letter, and to sometimes show from whom it came.
 
This would require a block of hard sealing wax and a hand held seal to make the impression. Desk Seals were plentful during this time, and were a neccesary accessory to any desk. The handle would be made from various materials, such as wood, silver, ivory, agate or mother of pearl. The stamper was usually made from brass or steel and would either have a hatched design or an engraved crest, or initials of the owner. A block of sealing wax would be held over a flame and melted onto the folded letter or envelope and then the seal would be pressed into the hot wax to leave its mark, when cooled this would act as a seal until openend by the recipient.
 
This is a very fine quality rosewood desk seal, with a turned handle and brass stamp engraved with the letter R. This would have been the property of a well-off lady.
 
All in very good condition
 
Dimensions: 5cm long