A very rare illuminated manuscript casket of inlaid New Zealand timbers by William Seuffert, bound in silver by a Kohn Ltd. Height 30 cm. Width 57 cm. Diameter 16 cm. the wood inlay is decorated with two large bands of Maori motifs incorporating tiki, spirals and manaia. Sitting on carved scroll form legs. Applied in silver is the Ranfurly coat of arms above an engraved silver latch decorated with fern motifs (evidence of a handle in between the latch and the coat of arms). the silver end bands are decorated with ferns. the interior is velvet-lined comprising of a wooden extendable hangar for the manuscript and a roller. the silver is marked 'A Kohn/ Auckland/Sterling Silver'. The casket was presented to Lord Ranfurly by the Veterans Association on the 12th June 1900. A newspaper article of the time states ‘The committee representing the veterans of Her Majesty’s Imperial and colonial forces, now resident in Auckland, attended at Government House yesterday morning, and presented His Excellency the Governor with an illuminated address, enclosed in a handsome casket of New Zealand woods. Ever since Lord Ranfurly occupied the position of Her Majesty’s representative in the colony he has shown the deepest interest in the veterans individually and as a body, and during his residences at Government House, Auckland, he and Lady Ranfurly have in many ways shown their high appreciation of the past services of the veterans of Auckland, who have on many occasions been welcome and honoured guests at Government House. The idea of presenting an address from the veterans to Lord Ranfurly was mooted some time ago, with the result that the committee, who have had the matter in hand, took the opportunity of meeting His Excellency yesterday, prior to his departure for Wellington, which takes place tomorrow. The veterans were received by His Excellency and Lady Ranfurly. The address itself was beautifully illuminated by a Mr W Gulliver ‘The border round the lettering is in the 16th century style. Over the centre of that border is a group of flags, Imperial and colonial. The artistic border carries in the left-hand top corner the Royal Arms, and in the right-hand corner the arms of the Earl of Ranfurly. Native plants and shrubs, including clematis, pohutakawa, tea-tree, and yellow kowhai. The outer bordering is interspersed with maidenhair fern, forget-me-nots, cabbage trees, toi grass and nikau. At the base is sketched a view of the North Shore and harbour.’ The newspaper article then goes then goes on to describe the casket, which differs slightly from this one but was presumably described from drawings. the whereabouts of the illuminated manuscript is currently unknown, but was likely removed when the Ranfurly contents in Ireland were put up for sale in the 1920s. the newspaper article quotes the entire wording on the article.