I've had this for decades, one of my favorite little French bits, a beautiful early to mid 1800s aide d'memoire (the forerunner of both the Daytimer and our smart phones). These little palm size note pads came with an annual calendar, sometimes a weekly calendar as well as the silk moire covered notebook which remains in this one. Into it one would jot one's schedule for the week ahead, names and callers, and important appointments for social events. This one has wonderful natural shell, and Sweet older portrait miniatures which would date to 1700s - perhaps ancestors of the person who a few generations later had them thus mounted? The portraits are a good 80 years earlier than the aide d'memoire. It is not a perfect piece, just one I've loved more than its likely value, so kept it. Time now to disburse a lifetime's collections! Full measurements are noted on the photos.
Good to very good condition for age and type. The actual cover panels of fine old tortoise shell are in great shape, but I'm quite sure the one with a gentleman, who looks somehow Northern European to me, should have a matching pressed brass border frame as you see on the front panel with the lady's portrait. I could be wrong, but it seems it ought to have one. Both of the old cover glass panels are in place and without damage. In many ways it seems very cared for, and yet that interior silk has not fared as well. The interior silk is faded and a bit tattered. Not so much on the notebook insert, but the lining to the little book's cover. You see what I mean. There is a silk slip on the inner spine into which a stylus or pencil would have once been tucked. The full 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.
