In the 19th and 20th century a letter or correspondence would be folded and sealed with a wax seal, in order to protect 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 plentiful during this time, and were a necessary 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 opened by the recipient.
 
This little set has a silver plated seal with an Art Nouveau leaf design, it has an itaglio initial to the stamp in italic, I think it reads CB or BC. Accompanying it is a pencil in a case, this is in the same leaf design, it has a removable cap to protect the pencil.
 
Condition is good to both pieces, this would have been used by a middle income family and is perfect for a lady’s desk or travelling set.
 
Dimensions: 9cm long