Beautifully crafted c.1900-1915, this Edwardian era English or perhaps Dutch tortoise shell box is fitted inside to hold 2 decks of playing cards. The 2 decks that attend it and are shown are not antique, but show you it's intended purpose, though certainly you could use it as you will. Cheroot, cigarette, possibly. Though it has no odor to indicate it was ever used that way. Hinges and clasp are sterling silver but no marks.
Very good to excellent condition for age and type, there are no flaws notable. No chips, hairlines, no bug bites. There is a slight surface 'something' along the moulded curves, showing the stretching of the natural shell when it was pliable enough to form that slightly Art Deco looking form. Measurements are noted on the photos.
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. We do hold a valid USFWS license, as well, for import/export, but additional time is required for export, and we are not exporting at this time.
