From the Napoleon III (Victorian) era, this gorgeous French notebook, card case "necessaire" survives beautifully with just a little bug bite (marked on our photos). The rich chocolate to cognac coloration of the mottled tortoiseshell panels are inlaid with ivory daisies and a 12k gold cartouche that remains without monogram. Silver inlays for the stems. Tuck in business cards and a credit card and away you go to a lovely evening out. Great conversation starter at business meetings, too.
Very good to excellent condition throughout, with a nod to a little bug bite on back panel and one tiny nip corner, each marked on photos for your review. This one has the original stylus which slips into the 3 silk satin loops and forms the clasp. Liner is in very fine condition for age and type, too. c. 1850-70.
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.