Spherical Ballot Box From The Paris City Council, France, Late 19th Century

A true piece of our beloved French democracy! A spherical sheet metal ballot box, for the Paris City Council, France, last quarter of the 19th century. A quintessential tool of democracy, this ballot box is made of sheet metal painted green and adorned with a gold band. The sphere still opens very well, with a handle at the front, and is in good overall condition. It is a piece of high historical value, worthy of being displayed in a museum.

Documentation:

"This ballot box comes from the City Hall. It was used either during Paris City Council meetings or during committee sessions. Its shape is reminiscent of ancient urns used to collect the ashes of the deceased and also for recording court deliberations. It is a rare type of ballot box." »

https://patpro.paris.fr/notice?id=h%3A%3A0d300b20-4330-42a6-980a-cb9c03f0aef2&queryId=47881219-afc9-44e0-92dd-62dbcc52431c&posInSet=1

“Long known as a “ballot box,” it was only in the second half of the 19th century that the word “urn,” evoking the sacred nature of voting, was definitively adopted. This word is inspired by the Roman term urna, which refers to a large vessel used to collect the ashes of the dead, to draw water, or to collect votes.

The ballot boxes of the Paris Council.” Used during deliberations, the oldest ballot boxes are made of sheet iron painted dark green and adorned with a gold band. Spherical in shape and welded onto a base, they resemble ancient funerary urns, from which they take their name. They were later replaced by wooden urns and then by plexiglass ones. Currently, votes in the Paris Council are mainly taken by a show of hands or electronically, but the ballot boxes can serve other purposes.

https://patpro.paris.fr/objets/urnes-de-vote-et-materiel-electoral

Free shipping within mainland France. Contact by email preferred. I am available for further information or additional photos.