Wonderful & rare antique 19th century Italian 2-deck playing card box or case with ornate Sorrento style inlaid exterior including swan figures, tendrils & foliage and playing cards! Quite unique, we've had this type of card box in the past but it's really been years and years. I recently found a collection of four and simply couldn't pass them up. Nothing like a bit of nostalgia during times like these. This is a double deck card box from the Napoleon III era, Italian we believe and likely from the Sorrento area. The top slides off to reveal two compartments, each holding a standard or slightly larger deck of playing cards. The two main sides with the playing card and figural inlay and there's delicate, tiny micro mosaic style inlay around the more narrow sides. If you look closely, you can see the winged griffin figures in the mosaic! Wonderful and, as I said, we have three more that I'll be listing in the next week so, be sure to browse while you're with us and check back often for new and fabulous finds. Thanks!
Good to very good condition, age considered. I've included a host of enlarged and close-up images so look and enjoy. Some age splits to the veneers in places and some tiny chipping around the edges but no major losses. The lid portion of the box appears to have some glue repairs to the side panels (mostly visible from the inside). The playing cards shown in the first image are not included, shown for size relation and ambiance only. See pictures for all measurements.
