#8022                                                                                          

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Silver Etui - This beautiful silver etui features five pieces including scissors, thimble, reel, penknife and stiletto. It is missing the bodkin. Even though the pieces don't all match, I believe them all to be original to the set ( with the possible exception of the thimble).  The reason I believe this, is that all of the pieces fit the case perfectly, although the stiletto may have been shortened and sharpened over time. It is very sharp and pointed which makes me think it may have been sharpened. I think this red leather fitted box may have been made to fit the pieces the needle woman already owned, rather than to fit a new set of tools, which explains why they do not all match. And each of the tools are quite lovely. The scissors have a gorgeous and unusual pattern, the reel is quite elegant and the thimble is beautiful as well.

The condition of the tools is excellent. The scissors are sharp and cut very well.  The thimble has no holes and is perfectly round.  The only issue with the condition of the tools is that the stiletto has been shortened by about 1/4 of an inch.  The leather box is showing a bit of wear. It has darkened over the years and the "hinge" has been repaired. But the repair is an excellent one.  The back edge of the box has a piece of red leather added to attach the two pieces.  The added piece is very similar in color, works quite well and is very secure.  The button closure also works well.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      $1250
                                                                                                       New Price      $985

                                                                       #8015                                                                                          

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Gilt Chatelaine - This magnificent chatelaine is circa 1780.  And amazingly, it still has its original thimble! For a chatelaine of this age and type to have all of the original tools in the etui is pretty rare, but for it to have its original thimble in the thimble case is almost unheard of. The thimble by itself is quite valuable and highly collectable. The buckle of the chatelaine features a shepherd with his sheep, while the decoration on both sides of the etui case feature cherubs frolicking. Clearly, this is very classical decoration.  The chatelaine measures 6" from top to bottom.   

The tools inside the etui include scissors, penknife, bodkin, pencil case with its original pencil, and a two page aide memoire.  The second small case was probably used for threads or as a patch case. One handle of the scissors is loose but the tools are all otherwise in good condition. The chatelaine including all three cases is also in good condition. The button closure works well but doesn't seem to move much.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             $2875
                                                                                                         New Price     $2250                

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  #8002                         

Gold Needlecase - 

Decorated with scrolls and florals, this lovely 18kt. gold needlecase is probably French in origin.  In the 19th century, the gold being used in France was almost always 18kt. This beautiful needlecase measures 2 1/2" in length. The overall look is one of delicate  elegance. 
 

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Because needles were very highly valued at the time, it was important for a needlecase to have a nice tight fit. And generally, the longer the inside connection, the higher the quality of the needlecase.  This one has both a snug fit and a nice long connection. There are no visible dents, dings or other issues with the condition of the piece.
                                                                           $265
                                                     New Price    $225

                                                                       #8014                                                                                          

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Mother of Pearl Chatelaine - This exquisite gilt and mother of pearl chatelaine is both rare and beautiful.  It consists of  a central etui holding multiple tools and two side cases that are now empty.  The gilt tools in the etui include scissors, snuff spoon, bodkin/earspoon, tweezers, nail file, pencil case (with the tiny original pencil) and an bone aide memoire.  One of the two side cases would have held a thimble while the other one was probably a patch box. A patch was the little black beauty mark that 18th century ladies wore on their faces.   The chatelaine also features a buckle on the back of the top medallian so that it could be worn over a belt or ribbon at the waist.  This stunning chatelaine is circa 1730-1740.

The mother of pearl is etched with graceful swirls and flourishes. The etching on the gilt is both ornate and elegant. It's simply impossible to describe how stunningly beautiful this chatelain is, and the pictures don't do it justice. A similar chatelaine is pictured in three different places in the wonderful book entitled Chatelaines by Nerylla Taunton and Genevieve Cummins. That one is pictured in Colour Plates 15 & 187 as well as on the cover of the book. And the book mentions a similar mother of pearl chatelaine that can be viewed in the Jewellery Gallery of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, England. 

The chatelaine itself is in very good condition. The tools are all in good condition. The ivory aide memoire will occaisionally slide down a bit in the inside of the case, but if you are careful when you push it into the case, it sits up just fine. It's also not difficult to retrieve it with a pair of tweezers if it slips down.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         $4650
                                                                                                           New Price    $3650                

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#8012

Silver Scissors Case -  Bearing the hallmark for Daniel Pettifer, Birmingham, England 1849, this stunning little scissors case features beauti- fully engraved ornate scrolls and an empty cartouche.  The scrolls and flourishes fill both sides of the case and even the edges have a delicate engraved pattern. But what makes this scissors case quite special is it's size. It measures just 3" in length and 1 1/4" at its widest point.  That is tiny for a scissors case which makes this one very rare.  The inside of the case is lined in a red fabric. 

There is one very small dent just to the right of the cartouche and the inside fabric lining is showing a bit of wear. This scissors case is otherwise in very nice condition.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        $495
                                                                                     New Price     $395