This is a wonderful rare find and piece of French History. 
It is a hinged wooden file box. 
Originally held papers or files appertaining to The Canal du Midi which was built between 1666 and 1694 in the reign of Lois 14th. 
The canal was built to link Toulouse to the Mediterranean, a total of 150 miles. Today it is a world heritage site. 
Such a wonderful piece of history to sit on a shelf and hide all the important documents that don’t need to be on show! 
Measurements: 34 x 16 x 39.5cm high