Gorgeous Antique Tortoise Shell & Ivory 12" Desk Box, Humidor

Antiques : Antique Tortoise Shell Items

 

Absolutely magnificent and rare 12" x 9" sized Neoclassical styled tortoise shell & ivory writer's desk box, a magnificent cigar humidor or decorative table casket! One of the more impressively sized old tortoise shell or tortoiseshell boxes that we've found lately, this one began its days as a writer's box or ecritoire/escritoire we believe. A very subtle angle to the lid and base are the most obvious clues though the interior shows only one sign of a missing desk or slope panel. No hinge marks inside (as you'd see with a fastened writing slope) or inkwell fittings, unless they were encased in a lift-out tray of some sort. Simple, what looks like a cedar lining and perfect to use as it is for a gentleman's assortment of fine cigars. The exterior is as fine as you could hope for, expansive tortoise shell panels framed in thin ivory bands. A classically simple silver cartouche & escutcheon. Beautiful and rare!

Very good-excellent condition. There are two splits inside, side to side on the lid and base panels and only very slightly visible from the top of the box (where the thin ivory strip spans the width (you couldn't ask for a better spot for a split, masked almost entirely by the ivory band and with no resulting damage to the shell)! As noted, the inside is in raw cedar I think, the ivory edgings are all there and the only sign of any missing parts is a thin recessed fitting around the inside of the lid where the writing surface would have rested. One hinge has been replaced (the brass hinge) and the other in silver with small "TT" maker or hallmarks. Working lock & key.

Item ID: 1206rtsb