Whenever letters of executorship granted in any State and authenticated as provided in the rules made under section 6(1)(i) of the Rules Board for Courts of Law Act, 1985 (Act No. 107 of 1985), are produced to or lodged with the Master by the person in whose favour those letters have been granted or his or her duly authorised agent, those letters may, subject to sections 22 and 23, be signed by the Master and sealed with his or her seal of office, and such person shall thereupon with respect to the whole estate of the deceased situate in the Republic, for the purposes of this Act be deemed to be granted by the Master:  Provided that before any such letters are signed and sealed a duly certified and authenticated copy of the will (if any) of the deceased and an inventory of all property known to belong to him within the Republic shall be lodged with the Master.