Very old! From my longtime collection of snuff and patch boxes, this one is mid-18th century and retains both history art and charm. On one side of the pillow-form box you find a monogram P D, and on the other, 3 ducks peck at the bugs and frogs and fish along the bank of a stream, a lush-leafed tree behind them. So much detail in such a tiny carving! The scalloped form is very special, as well. In all, the depth is 1 1/4" and diameter is 2 1/2". Shown in final photos with a group so you can imagine scale and type. Louis XIV to XVI, not later, and from the carvers of Dieppe.
Very good to excellent condition for age and type. Amazing to have survived in such fine form, really, when you consider this material does often shrink and crack. There on the side with monogram (bottom half), you can see there is a little hairline from age, shrinkage and perhaps pressure of a thumb when closing the box. Otherwise, no chips or flaws - the slender inner lip is quite amazingly unscathed, as well. A real delight! One of my favorites of a lifetime of collecting.
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.
