RARE! super fine scale shared veneer over .800/1000 French silver (almost sterling) with an 18k gold wash around the neck (which I did not clean enough before it went to photographer - might do these over again). The slender 'palm of the hand' or vest pocket case is heavy, has long kept the 4-leaf writing pad perfect within, along with the original tiny pencil. Rarely found complete, it is also in amazing condition for its age - again, c.1700s. Shagreen was considered a great luxury, stylish among nobility, shown off a bit. Full measurements noted on the photos.
Very good to excellent condition for age and type. Only rarely do we find a shagreen case without a great deal of loss or damage. Loss to contents, decorative surface. This one has just 1 flaw to note, and that is to the left of the silver cartouche on the case's front panel. A split and an effort at repair also a very long time ago. Shagreen leather is made from the very fine scale belly skin of stingray. The smaller the scale, the earlier the antique. Not a warp nor chip on any of the 4 leafs or pages of the riveted note pad, and it's amazing to find the original tiny pencil still perfectly fit in its place. A rare find!
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.
