A North European carved oak and wrought iron bound offertory or alms box, 17th century, the hinged cover carved with central rosette and initials MS, above a rectangular body carved with arcading and geometric designs to all sides; the interior with fitted compartments, 9 x 23 x 17cm; another, smaller carved oak and wrought iron mounted alms box, 17th century, of tapered form, 18cm high; and a Continental giltwood table top book stand, 19th century, with shell cresting, 45cm high, 36cm wide Provenance: Private Collection, The Manor House, Stanford in the Vale, Oxfordshire A writing casket with similarly pronounced strapwork mounts and geometric carving was sold at Christie's, 17 December 2020, lot 195 (£6,875). That example was identified as German, though similarly elaborate arcading also features on caskets of French and sometimes English origin. Note for example the Gothic casket of French design at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, acc. no. 16.32.20.