Mid to late 1700s French navette-shaped patch box or toothpick etui (usually had a mirror fitted inside lid), perhaps snuff box since this one is 3" long, elegant mottled cognac to chocolate tortoise shell with entirely hand worked sterling silver hinge and frame mount. excellent condition, rare to find. This one is from my own lifelong collections, and is gorgeous. Found in France decades ago, it's time to disburse now. In it's time, meant for patches, those small or various-sized black round dots used to adorn the face in c.1750-70's fashion. Some would tell you they're just beauty spots, and others will explain they were to cover blemishes caused by STDs, rampant in the Louis XIV to Louis XVI eras. "The French disease", as it was known passed with the intimacies of courtiers' and kings' dalliances. Little French niceties, so well made, they're very highly sought after still today. This one is museum worthy.
Very good to excellent condition for age and type, over 250 years treasured. I find no flaws to note. Full measurements are also 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.
