Another from my lifelong collections, this lathe-turned ivory watch box dates 1850-70s, Napoleon III or Victorian era, and would have rested on a bedside table to receive a lady's small pocket watch & chain for the night. The thick perfectly beveled cover glass would have drawn light and effectively turned the watch into a clock for evening and nighttime. Full measurements noted on the photos.
Very good condition for age and type. Photos show a hairline crack in the lid at around the 11:30 o'clock position, quite typical of antique ivory and results from shrinkage of the natural material. I can note a single chip to the front of lid at clasp area. The pushbutton and clasp are each working just fine, and hinge as well. Beautiful little thing, and not a nip, chip nor flaw to the original beveled glass, either.
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.
