MAILBOX, MID-SEVENTH CENTURY With the royal coat of arms and cipher of Louis XIII Rectangular in shape, slightly curved, with a wooden core sheathed in embossed and gilded fawn leather; opening on the side with a drawer under a slide and on the top with a removable box lined with green silk, a side compartment closed by a hinged lid; the back overlaid with a semis of double Cs leaning against each other; some stains and wear. H. 13 cm (5.11 in.) l. 39 cm (15.35 in.) P. 26 cm (10.24 in.) A mid-17th century gilt and leather letter case, marked with the royal arms and cypher of Louis XIII Provenance: Philippe Dennery Collection To the present owner by inheritance With the kind assistance of Mr Philippe Palasi for the heraldry. The sound of rapiers clashing, the smell of gunpowder and the panache of the musketeers: this is how Alexandre Dumas's 'historical' novels have shaped our contemporary vision of the 17th century. Yet a dark and obscure veil covers the first years of the century: Ravaillac's regicide, the regency of Marie de Médicis, the influence of Concino Concini and Galigaï, the assertiveness of the young Louis XIII, the Thirty Years' War, the power of Richelieu, the thunder of the Fronde... these tumults shape souls and allow royal power to assert itself little by little, from skirmish to skirmish, from battle to battle. And so the rays of King Louis XIV - "nec pluribus impar" - came to dazzle the end of the century with all their splendour. Our casket is one of those everyday items that accompanied the kingdom's most eminent personalities, containing precious objects, personal effects or letters. Its gilded decoration is particularly interesting, since the "L" under the royal crown, the figure of King Louis XIII, stands alongside a mysterious double "C" leaning against each other, which could refer to the marshal of Ancre, the sulphurous Concino Concini (1569-1617). Concini, described as arrogant, enjoyed, along with his wife influence over Marie de Médicis during the Regency. de Medici during the Regency. He quickly aroused the distrust of the young King Louis XIII. On 24 April 1617, he was surrounded by the Baron de Vitry, captain of the guards, as he crossed the threshold of the Château du Louvre. He was shot several times in the face and throat with a pistol. On hearing of his death, Louis XIII is said to have said to the murderers: "Thank you very much, I am king now!