When my picker in France first showed me this one, I thought it was a smaller coin purse, which is how it looks if you can't see it in scale. But it's actually twice that size and is a regular small purse instead. The interior is also differently fitted, as you can see, as an open purse. I wonder if it might not have had a matching ribbon handle that folded down into the little purse orignally. The pique work on this one is seriously magnificent, making it well worth adding to your collection both in size and beauty, even though it is not a perfect piece. As you can see, we've noted a chip, some bug bites and 2 very small hairlines about 1/4" long, as well. Still, in display, it's fabulous!
Good condition for age and type. A unique one in larger size and is fitted as a purse rather than coin purse (twice the size of those). Pique work is magnificent on this one with no lifts or losses in that elegantly worked gold and silver. WOW! Shell is beautiful, though has a few flaws as noted and taken into consideration in the price. Still, isn't it fine! And yes, this size will hold standard USA business cards. It is 4 1/8" x 2 1/8" interior measurement. From outside, 4 1/4" x 2 1/4"and it is 1" thick. You would have to remove the interior purse fitting to use it for business cards, I think. I'm adding a photo at the end showing the other one we have that is exactly the same size, but with interior used for cheroot (small cigars) so you can see it with a business card.
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.
