Delicately worked from the verso side in a technique known as repousse, this French brass decorative accessory is from circa 1890. The wall-mounted circular plaque would have once served as a letter pocket, allowing hand-delivered mail to be placed within the protruding pouch. Completely gold in color, the round piece of brass is depicted with two separate scenes. On the main body, a couple can be seen embracing each other beneath an arch with a lattice and climbing ivy. The pocket is adorned with a pastoral scene of a man returning from a successful hunting trip. His rifle is slung over a shoulder as he displays a felled bird to a second man lounging on the rocky ground under a tree. A small child is behind the hunter, under a second tree, playing with a dog as the section of a house stands in the background. Our wall-mount brass letter pocket would make a unique mailbox for any home, although most collectors will display it as an objet d’art or a decorative wall accessory.
CONDITION: Very good antique condition. Minor verdigris and wear, presenting as scratches and small indentations. Small clip on the back for hanging purposes.