I rarely buy a single piece from old vanity sets, and particularly not hand mirrors, but I just could not pass this one by. So beautiful a tortoise shell casement as this one has, inlaid with a diamond of brilliant pearlescent parquet diamonds - well, it's just too pretty. And I think it's got a strong enough aesthetic presence to stand alone on your dressing table top or bathroom counter, don't you? Yes, I thought so, too. It's mid-late 1800s, not later than 1880 I would say, and even the old thick beveled glass mirror remains in very good condition. The coloration in the shell is really quite spectacular - a rich combination of cognac and chocolate.
Very good to excellent condition for age and type. The shell veneer has been steam- formed around a wooden base form, and you see just the slightest rough spot or two along the seam, one at the narrowest part of the handle. A slight roughness near the bottom seems more a natural flaw than one from wear, and the large size of this one in combination with its beauty will easily overcome these minor flaws. It is truly a spectacular piece!
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.
