1940s rotary drum desk perpetual calendar by Le Tanneur

A French rotary drum perpetual desk calendar and pen stand, circa 1940s, by Le Tanneur. The chromed metal drum displays French day, date, and month through rectangular apertures, adjusted by turning the finial at the end or the round rings to either side. It is mounted on a dark green leather desk base with a pen rest and saddle stitching, the underside branded Le Tanneur. The piece presents a restrained late Art Deco to early mid century profile, petite in scale, with cream paper bands behind the windows. It functions well. 

Drum format perpetual desk calendars, calendrier perpétuel de bureau, became popular in European offices from the 1930s through the 1950s for their clean lines and mechanical simplicity. Le Tanneur et Cie, founded in France in 1898, built its reputation on fine maroquinerie and the patented Sans Couture stitchless purse, awarded at the Exposition Universelle in 1900. Through the interwar and postwar years, the house expanded into refined desk accessories and travel goods, applying its savoir-faire in leather to executive accessories that combined metal fittings with well-finished hides, as seen in this compact pen stand.

Ideal on a desk, library writing table, or modern home office, it offers a pleasing daily ritual and a tactile counterpoint to digital timekeeping. Pair it with a leather blotter, a fountain pen, and other chrome-accented pieces for a cohesive vignette, or let its understated form anchor a more eclectic arrangement of books and correspondence on a console or secretary.

Condition and wear consistent with age and use.
Approx. overall 1½" high x 7" x 4¼"
Approx. overall 4cm high x 18cm x 11cm