Antique French Tortoise Shell Cigar or Spectacles Case, Silk Lined - Mid- 1800s Tortoiseshell, Napoleon III, mid-Victorian Era

This is a very fine old shell etui, cigar case in the traditional 1800s style we find in France and England (origins). The case has superb and beautifully colored/mottled old shell, of course, as we are used to in these finest old shell items, and the interior is beautifully lined in crimson silk, trimmed out in white - very good condition throughout on this one. The gold stringing and cartouche on the outside are icing on the cake! These are also wonderful to use as an evening purse, tucking one's spectacles into one side, a credit card, business cards into another.

Good to very good condition, it's mid-1800s and the leather baffles show almost no wear - it's serviceable if you'd like to put it to use, or absolutely beautiful if you want it for display. Silk interior is very nice in this one, all original and it still has the match striker pad in place. This is one you'll consider using as an evening purse, I think. Elegant - perfect. The case has baffled sides, allowing it to expand to hold 6 cigars. Outer measurement: 5.5" x 3" and 1" thick. Both outer panels are convex, as well. 

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.