I know this is not a letter opener, it is a paper knife, but people search by other names for these desktop tools which were meant to slip between the pages of new books to cut the folds of the printed pages. Often long than this one, they're slender and rather sharp at edges. The one shown here is a splendid piece from the old artisans, Master carvers of Dieppe, France. A seaport village through which most supplies and exotic imported goods made their way to Paris and beyond. The shipping trades spawned a local culture of carving ivory on the long sea voyages, and later retired to the village and continued the art. Some of the most treasured antique ivory carvings come from that village, and are simply known as "Dieppe". This c.1700s carved fisherwoman (pêcheuse) is so charming! She carries a big basket of fish on her head and another 3 on a stringer in her right hand. Her left hand tucked into the pocket of her voluminous skirt. A smile on her face, which truly does have personality, and the question of whether she represents the fisherwomen who stormed the Palace of Versailles, capturing or killing many of the courtiers, and pillaging the Palace, starting of the uprising known as the French Revolution, which resulted in the beheading of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie-Antoinette, 1779.
Very good to excellent condition for age and type, I believe she once had booted feet, which may have chipped and were sawed carefully off, leaving her slightly shorter but still as charming. No chips at all on the piece. I can't be positive the blade was not longer at its start, but it is well-rounded and slender at end just as the sides of the blade, so it could be original in this length. Measurements 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.
