As I say in the title this is an extremely rare item and in wonderful condition.

It was made in the early 1830s by a man who had worked for the great Rudolf Ackermann.

Mr Ackermann was a German gentleman so I should probably say Heir Ackermann, who moved to London in the late 18th century and started by opening drawing schools from which he all so sold artist equipment of a very high quality. His next move was to open what was known as his artist’s repository. Soon he was to become a printing business also. This of course was just as high a quality business as everything else he did. His prints are still in demand today and are highly collectible and command good prices.

Now enters our featured gentleman here known as Mr Mason.

Whilst working at Ackerman’s he must have had an idea that this business model would work elsewhere.

So he moved to Brighton. This was a place that was growing in reputation and popularity and was quite elegant.

You may remember that the great John Constable had also moved there for some time during the 1820s. This was of course mainly because of his poor wife’s illness but his presence must have helped with the town’s growing popularity.

Mr Mason must have looked at Brighton as something of a mini London and in places I believe it does and thought that such a business would work here and he was quite correct and the business survived for decades. It was also known as an artist’s repository.

This particular box was I believe made very early on perhaps about 1833. The business commenced a year earlier and used the same label as seen here.

The box is also very Georgian by design which to my mind is lovely.

It still features the pocket in the lid for paper and offers a reminder of the writing slope.

The palette which does show some repair is also of the Georgian type.

The original water bowl here also looks very 18th century ish.

Generally speaking the box is in great condition and is perfectly usable.

There are a few surface gouges in the face of the leather on the front of the pocket but all is usable as designed. The box is made from a lovely Georgian patterned Mahogany wood that glows with its rich colour.

If looked after this box will last and last and will always be a joy to have around.

The paints here are also very interesting and I think that mostly these have always been present. Because of the early ness of the box the firm is not yet making or supplying paints under its own name and there are two main names featured here. One is Sherborn and these are the first and only ones I’ve ever seen both as a collector and Museums Conservator of over 40 years. They were a business that spanned over two centuries in different guises. The other is Rowney and Forster. These are also very rare paints. Crucially both makers examples cover the 1830s period. Both were sourced in London and of a very high quality.

Inside the lower drawer which opens with its original brass pin is found two porcelain palettes of a type very similar to the ones found in the Ackermann boxes. One of these I think is a later replacement but it matches quite well the one that looks original.

The original lock is supplied with a key that works it well.

It is a glorious box and the rarest I’ve offered, I do hope that you enjoy looking at it.

Approximately,

23cm

18cm

8cm