Stunning Shell & Sterling Silver Complete Spectacle Chatelaine with Glasses, George Unite, c1876

This piece is of stunning quality. The glasses holder is of dark shell with a frog-mouth mechanism to reveal the spectacles. The holder and waist plaque are of cut-out sterling silver in a scrolling design of flowers and leaves. The back of the holder is relatively plain with one wide and one small area of shaped silver. The actual holder is hallmarked for George Unite with a date letter that appears to be for 1876. The plaque is not marked. Inside is an original pair of silver-rimmed spectacles which also have a GU stamp. The condition is excellent; the only slight problem is that the opening of the case for the spectacles appears a little loose and falls open easily, but this could most likely be tightened. The spectacles are a fairly tight fit. This piece would require a CITES certificate. Australian regulations specify that full name and contact details of a committed buyer are required before the certificate is issued, and it can take a few weeks for this to be finalised. This beautiful example would be the pièce de résistance of a collection of quality chatelaines, spectacle-related items or beautiful pieces of silver by this renowned maker. Maximum length 9 ins (22.9cm). Weight 94 grams.
Air Mail Post with tracking to the USA would be $23.00 USD – with no tracking is cheaper. This item is covered by own insurance policy. For shipping cost to other countries, please contact us.