Antique French Tortoise Shell & 18k Gold Lorgnette c. 1820- 50, Complete
A magnificent old French lorgnette in finest shell, with glass clear and undamaged and the handle as beautiful on front and back as any we've seen. A cartouche of 18k yellow gold adorns the one side, making it even more elegant. Perfect to use, as the mechanism works very well and the lenses are clear and unscathed by time. Slight magnification for we aging but fabulous baby boomers who now need just a touch of something to make that tiny text readable (sound familiar?). These were worn dangling from a long black silk ribbon around the neck. A wonderful idea for use or to just sit on your side table as a decorative accent. Very good to excellent condition, not a flaw to note. These are circa 1840-80, amazing condition for their age. The vast majority of worked and antique object tortoise shell material comes from the shells of two species of sea turtles: the hawksbill (Eretmo-chelys imbricata) and, more rarely, the green turtle (see box A). The shells of these turtles exhibit attra