Along the promenade flanking the gardens at Richelieu's old Palace, known for centuries as the Palais Royal, were boutiques offering visitors, Royals, Nobility and Grand Tour travelers the best treasures of French artisans, from clothing and fabric to silver, porcelains, all manner of luxurious traveler's necessaire, and opaline glass, Baccarat glass, to include these opaline whimsical carriages, eggs, sewing sets and more. These have always been favorites - the little pressed brass or solid-cast bronze animals pulling carriages. Some were egg-shaped and held scent bottles or sewing items. This one is a shell desk caddy with inkwell, unique and charming. Double goats pull the wheeled chariot-lik carriage, which would be where the pen would rest, and the charming little inkwell there where a carriage driver might belong, though this is the original form. All attached to the original alabaster plinth, and all in fine form. Full measurements are noted on photos.
Very good to excellent, not a single tiny chip in that beautiful blue opaline scallop shell tray. The inkwell, both certainly Baccarat works, displays perfectly even though there is a very tiny outer rim chip which the cap covers. Even so, you might not see it. I've marked where it is with an x on one close-up for your review. Alabaster plinth is also without breaks or chips, which is quite rare for these. Many that remain at all do so without the alabaster plinth. Nice large one, 8" long. Anchor pins there, though the ones for goats are slightly loose at listing. I'll take a closer look, anchor those better.
