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Lot 663
An extremely rare Louis Vuitton zinc and brass Explorer's 'Malle Cabine' cabin trunk circa 1885, with paper label to inside back,
Description:

An extremely rare Louis Vuitton zinc and brass Explorer's 'Malle Cabine' cabin trunk
circa 1885, with paper label to inside back, numbered 33846, the London address in Bond Street erased and changed to '454 The Strand', the interior lined in cream linen, with lift-out tray, the exterior covered in zinc with brass and wood bindings, brass handles and locks, the underside with iron roller castors, 29 1/2 x 17 x 13 1/2in. (75 x 43.25 x 34.25cm.).
* The rare zinc covered trunks manufactured by Louis Vuitton in the 1880s and were specifically designed with the requirements of intrepid travellers to hot and humid climes, where the hermetically sealed design of the zinc trunk was invaluable for keeping the contents free from water, insects and dust, as well as the usual ability of the award winning locks in keeping out thieves.

* Condition: Very original condition - has not been polished, no alterations. The exterior with several old liner & hotel labels, some of which are only partial. There are some dents & creases to the zinc thoughout the exterior, with one tiny hole to lower right corner of front panel (4 x 3mm.). No other holes or splits. There is a large oxidised patch to the surface of the zinc to the right hand side panel, but otherwise there is a good patina throughout. The brass edging has some dents and dings throughout and one deep line indent to the centre back of lid. No losses or splits. There is scratching and small surface splinter losses to the wooden straps and the rails on the underside have heavier wear. The castors have some surface rust. The right hand handle is slightly bent. The lock plate has been prised off in the past - one corner is bent upwards and the rivets are missing, but there is no other damage to the either the plate or the front of the trunk. The catch is locked and there is no key. The interior has some foxing and damp spotting to the cloth throughout and some white mould bloom to one side of the base. The strip of cloth inside the front edge of the lid is loose. There are worn patches through the cloth at the ends of both tray runners. The tray itself is in fairly poor condition - the wood is damaged to both the front and back and there are holes to the cloth around this damage. The base cloth in the tray is detached at one end. The label is good, with some small losses along a crease line in the underlying fabric (just above the medals) and there is a scratch top right in the white background. The recessed inside edge of the lid originally had a putty type material forming the seal - this is mostly now missing, with only remnants remaining.

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27 June 2019 10:00
Guernsey, United Kingdom

Martel Maides

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
£0 £29 £2
£30 £99 £5
£100 £199 £10
£200 £319 £20
£320 £379 £30
£380 £419 £20
£420 £479 £30
£480 £519 £20
£520 £579 £30
£580 £619 £20
£620 £679 £30
£680 £699 £20
£700 £1,499 £50
£1,500 £1,999 £100
£2,000 £3,199 £200
£3,200 £3,799 £300
£3,800 £4,199 £200
£4,200 £4,799 £300
£4,800 £4,999 £200
£5,000 £14,999 £500
£15,000 £19,999 £1,000
£20,000 £31,999 £2,000
£32,000 £37,999 £3,000
£38,000 £41,999 £2,000
£42,000 £47,999 £3,000
£48,000 £49,999 £2,000
£50,000 £99,999 £5,000
£100,000 £199,999 £10,000
£200,000 £319,999 £20,000
£320,000 £379,999 £30,000
£380,000 £499,999 £20,000
£500,000 £1,499,999 £50,000
£1,500,000 + £100,000