An exceptional boxed set, dating late 1700s to earliest 1800s, the set seems never to have been used, but what must have been a steel letter opener blade (missing from the handle) must have corroded in the box as it was stored. You can see in the box, it deteriorated the silk and silk velvet where that blade would have been. The handle to it remains in the set without the blade. The remainder of the desktop or writer's tools are complete. Beautifully crafted tortoise shell handles on all, and ruler, each piece with brass and natural mother of pearl and abalone shell inlays. Long in my collections. Full measurements noted on the photos.
Very good to excellent condition for age and type, with exception of the missing blade to the letter opener or page cutter tool which has been removed from the handle, likely for corrosion. I'm sure that blade would have been steel, perhaps an engraved elaborate ornamentation and likely other metals in that ornamental engraving on both sides - perhaps gold or nickel. What remains is a was seal, ruler, scraper (eraser) paper cutter blade, a stiletto to punch holes to string-bind documents as was done in 1700s to earliest 1800s. There are no flaws on the tortoise shell pieces, each of which have elaborate inlays. Box is also an old beauty, original, very slight warp to top but both clasps still anchor it closed and it's in great shape on the exterior, interior all but where the deteriorated blade rested, as you can see.
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.
