French Secret Compartment Book

Judge this book by its cover and the hidden compartment goes unnoticed.

This secret compartment book bound in leather is from France, and dates to the 20th century. It is leather & bound paper. Leather has been used to bind books in Europe for centuries because it is durable, flexible and can be tooled or stamped with decoration. Mottled brown calf covers with raised spine bands and faint gilt lines, grouped in a small cluster. The open volume reveals a neatly cut rectangular hollow in the printed pages, with the page edges toned cream. It is 6 inches wide, 2 deep and 8.75 high.

A quiet shelf-sitter with a secret to keep.