A truly stunning c.1700s French 18k gold pique worked snuff box, fine in form and exceptional in condition. The goldsmith's work inlaying those gold stars extends the entire exterior, including the bottom, which is unusual in these. The blond tortoiseshell was the most prized of all, and items like this can help you see why. None finer, including the museum collections. I'm disbursing my own collections now. I'm getting old, oddly enough.
Very good to excellent condition throughout, with the most minimal loss to the 18k gold inlays, pique and slightly lathe-beveled border work, which covers even the bottom, and only a tiny and insignificant spot or two where the rare translucent blond tortoise shell shows a flaw (see images). Remarkably fine for age! You will find reference to these very early items in display at the V&A and British Museums, London, and the Louvre, Paris, all noting c.1700s origin.
IMPORTANT NOTE regarding antique tortoise shell or ivory: We are great supporters of protection for endangered species in our modern world. We never buy or sell anything 100 years or newer; we donate to anti-poaching organizations; we don't hunt; we conserve in ways that impact global warming (we're totally solar at home), knowing those measures also protect the animals in the wild today. We also recognize the vast cultural history we preserve with our care and reverence for these antique objects, and agree with CITES that objects over 100 years of age have nothing whatsoever to do with species depletion in our current world.
Our offering exceeds the age limitation of "more than 100 years of age", and is well within the exemption for CITES regulation. If imported, met the CITES regulation. This item will be handled and shipped from our Utah business, and is not available for shipment internationally, nor within the USA to California, NY, Nevada, Hawaii, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington if it contains ivory, sorry. Please see our small print for more details.
