Beautiful work on this one, and excellent condition, as well. This is a Napoleon III era (mid-Victorian - c.1850-70) patch box, small powder box, or perhaps the holder of a rosary in its original state. Beautifully lathe-turned chocolate to cognac tortoise shell creates the hinged box with push-button clasp, and recessed pique or inlays of sterling silver and gold, brass decorate it's top. Flowers and a bird, images of Springtime, or perhaps the rebirth, resurrection story. Petit at just 2 1/4", one might think of a snuff box, but it is not.
Excellent condition for age and type. Rarely do we find one with no damage at all to report.
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.
