{"product_id":"onyx-and-brass-desk-set-with-rolling-perpetual-calendar-and-twin-pen-holders-c-1950-1970","title":"Onyx and Brass Desk Set with Rolling Perpetual Calendar and Twin Pen Holders, c. 1950–1970","description":"\u003ch3\u003eThe Piece\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA desk set built on a single slab of banded onyx — milk white shot through with drifting bands of honey and amber, no two inches alike, polished to a soft glassy sheen. The stone is the whole foundation: heavy enough that nothing on it shifts, and cool to the touch in a way no substitute manages.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMounted across the back is a rolling perpetual calendar, a brass barrel capped at both ends in chrome, with three small windows reading day, date, and month. Thumb the chrome end caps and the drums turn inside, clicking through TUE to WED, 8 to 9, SEP to OCT. It is a mechanism with no battery, no cord, and nothing to fail — you simply move it forward each morning, which is the small daily ritual that makes people love these.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt each end, a black tapered pen funnel rises from a turned brass collar, angled outward so a pen sits ready rather than flat. Between them, an oval brass plate is set flush into the stone, left blank for engraving. The underside is finished in green baize.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHistory \u0026amp; Provenance\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe onyx desk set belongs to the executive office of the mid-twentieth century, when a desk was a statement of position and the objects on it were chosen accordingly. Sets like this were the standard gift for a promotion, a retirement, or a twenty-fifth anniversary with a firm — which is exactly why so many carry an engraved plate, and why this one, left blank, is the more useful version.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe stone is banded onyx-marble, quarried and worked in Mexico, Italy, and Pakistan through these decades and shipped worldwide for exactly this purpose. The rolling perpetual calendar is the older idea: mechanical desk calendars of this drum type date to the nineteenth century and were still being made through the 1970s, long enough that they became shorthand for a certain kind of office. This example carries no maker's mark, which is normal for the category — these were sold under retailer and gift-house names rather than manufacturer marks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eProduct Details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellpadding=\"8\" cellspacing=\"0\"\u003e\n\u003cthead\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth align=\"left\"\u003eField\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003cth align=\"left\"\u003eDetail\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/thead\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eObject\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDesk set with perpetual calendar and two pen holders\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOrigin\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eUnattributed; onyx of the type worked in Mexico and Italy for the desk trade\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eForm\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eRectangular onyx slab mounted with a brass drum perpetual calendar with chrome end caps, an inset oval brass plate, and two pen funnels on turned brass collars; green baize underside\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMaterial\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBanded onyx-marble in white and honey, brass, chrome, and black composition\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMarks\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eUnmarked; the oval plate is blank and ready for engraving\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eEra\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ec. 1950–1970\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCondition\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eVery good with age. The calendar drums turn freely and all three windows advance correctly through day, date, and month. Onyx is sound with no cracks or chips, showing the natural pits and inclusions the stone is quarried with. Brass has mellowed to a warm patina with light surface marks, and the chrome caps remain bright. Pen funnels are secure and the baize underside is clean and intact. Condition Guaranteed.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAvailability\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOne of a Kind — 1 Available\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy It Belongs in Your Home\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA working desk deserves one object that isn't plastic, and this is it. The calendar earns its place by requiring something of you — a few seconds each morning to advance the date, which is a better way to start at a desk than looking at a screen. The stone anchors a corner of the surface and stops paper from wandering, and the pen funnels keep two good pens upright and reachable instead of rolling into a drawer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt also reads beautifully in a room that isn't an office. On a console, a shelf, or a bedside table it works as sculpture, and the white-and-honey stone sits naturally with brass, walnut, leather, and cream. The blank oval is a genuine opportunity: engrave a name, a date, or nothing at all. A note on care: onyx is softer than granite and porous, so wipe it with a barely damp cloth rather than any cleaner, and never let alcohol, citrus, or vinegar sit on it — they etch the polish permanently. Leave the brass to its patina, or bring it up with a proper metal cream on a cloth, keeping it off the stone.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Viridian Eclection","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48006956580969,"sku":null,"price":322.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0651\/0093\/9369\/files\/IMG_3503.jpg?v=1788844202","url":"https:\/\/viridianeclection.com\/products\/onyx-and-brass-desk-set-with-rolling-perpetual-calendar-and-twin-pen-holders-c-1950-1970","provider":"Viridian Eclection","version":"1.0","type":"link"}