Antique Tortoise Shell and Silver Cigar or Spectacles or Perfume Flask Box, Case, Etui, c.1900-1920
Through the decades of buying trips, primarily France and England, I've run across 2 of these interesting cases, and of course I bought them both. Each one empty, though one has an early green papered silk interior. I had one other, similarly made but smaller, also oval, and it had an opaline perfume flask inside. I disclose that because, in fact, I've long wondered if they were originally sold with a flask inside, or perhaps as a cigar case, which seems the perfect likelihood. The size is perfectly suited to hold 4 of the smaller cigars like Davidoff (pictured) or Churchill, up to 4.5" in length. Seems a perfect gift for someone who just loves those, or who might, instead, love using it for reading glasses, spectacles, which also fit inside. This is 1 of the remaining 2 I've collected decades ago. Selling as singles, you'll see the other in the final photo, a gold cartouche mounted on top of lid. Full measurements are noted on the photos. Very good to excellent, from silver fittings