A Victorian period calling card case with diamond and triangular mother of pearl panels. This example has very attractive green and turquoise tones of iridescence with some deeper purples on one side. It has a push button to release the cap and a hinged lid. The interior has a red fabric lining to help keep the cards clean and there is a white metal panel to the top which was intended for personalisation with initials. These cases were of course used for calling cards and presenting your card at a residence or business was common practice during the 19th and early 20th century. This example likely dates around 1870.

This case is part of a recently acquired single owner collection. The predominant feature of the collection is the iridescent quality of the shells, with some particularly fine structural colours of the nacre. The colour and iridescence does of course change with the light and incident angle, so multiple images have been taken to try and give a sense of how it varies, all shot under halogen light.



Condition

Normal age related wear, a couple of very small losses to the edges of panels. One small loss down the hinge edge visible in the first image.


Measurements (Approx)

Width: 7.7 cm ( 3 inches )

Height: 10.2 cm ( 4 inches )

Weight: 56 grams (before packing).



Stock Code: 1925 OC19-2