Early to Mid-19th Century Tortoiseshell and Mother-of-Pearl Card Case

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Description

A finely fashioned rectangular calling card case, constructed in rich, mottled tortoiseshell and framed with geometric mother-of-pearl corner panels, the … Read more A finely fashioned rectangular calling card case, constructed in rich, mottled tortoiseshell and framed with geometric mother-of-pearl corner panels, the contrasting materials creating a sharp architectural border around the central shell field. The surface displays the deep chestnut and honey figuring typical of 19th-century shell, polished to a warm gloss that complements the iridescence of the pearl. The design is notably restrained and elegant, with squared proportions and a hinge and push-button release at the side, opening to a narrow interior lined in blue fabric for the protection of cards.

Cases of this type were worn or carried on social visits and served both as fashion accessories and as markers of refinement. The use of inset pearl—cut in chamfered rectangles and fitted cleanly at each edge—suggests English manufacture, possibly Birmingham or London, with date likely between 1830 and 1860. The form sits comfortably within the Regency and early Victorian taste for luminous organic materials arranged in crisp geometric bands, a style later adopted across Europe but exemplified by British workshops catering to the growing culture of calling and correspondence.

Measures: 2.625" w x 4" h x .375" d See less