And TAHAN, to boot! The top purveyor of luxury goods, Paris, 1800s, the engraved signature "TAHAN r d la Paix" (Paris) engraved on that lock plate tells you this was among the very best of the best in its time. From the Napoleon III era, or slightly before, (c.1850-70) this beautiful old 18k gold sewing set survives well, within the heavy carved ivory etui where each item is perfectly fitted. It's unusual to fine these still with all 5 implements including the slender bodkin, or lace-threading needle. Those are usually lost over time. This set is complete, but I will say that I do think the gold thimble has come from another set. It might be from this one but slight variation hints at it being a married set - just the thimble. All the gold portions are both tested and are marked with the control mark for 18k gold, the French eagle's head, in use after 1838. The marks are so tiny and you really need a loupe to see, but there's also a goldsmith's mark or punch (poinćon) which I just couldn't capture in photo clearly enough to show it. Believe me, I tried!
Very good to excellent condition for age and type. The sewing items are all in very fine condition, save that tiny bent tip on the stiletto. The scissors remain sharp, and there are no breaks or bends to the 18k gold. There are, however, 2 imperfections to note in the 180 year old ivory etui or case: you see that there is a chip to each end of the top half of the case. I've shown them painfully close-up in our photos for your review, but also with case closed so you can see how nicely it displays both open and closed.
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. ca
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.
