Superb little treasure box - an English Victorian knife-box shaped miniature casket that is fitted out to hold needles, in packets in those sectioned slots within. Beautiful old shell veneer in fine condition, throughout - even the bottom wants to be displayed, it's so beautiful, all that mottled cognac to chocolate coloration and the shimmering color of the inlaid abalone and mother of pearl shell marquetry vine and blossom. Ivory rim liner and needle sections, with the upper latch space and liner missing, visible on our photos.
Good to very good condition for age and type. The box has a tight hinge, working clasp but the lid catch has been lost to time, along with that little strip of ivory lip. No warping or chips/cracks to deal with in the old shell. It's a fabulous display piece. A must-have for any collector of sewing items. 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.
