{"product_id":"antique-aesthetic-movement-tortoiseshell-card-case","title":"Antique Tortoiseshell Card Case","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThis is a visiting card case, the kind a Victorian caller kept in a pocket or bag. The lid carries a monogram on an inlaid furled card, with flowers and a small insect off to one side, the lopsided arrangement the Aesthetic Movement borrowed from Japanese design. It opens on a long hinge and holds a stack of cards.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[d]Dimensions | \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e0.75 in. H x 4.5 in. W x 2.75 in. D\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[d]Surface | Polished shell, finish history not established. Heavy scratching to the reverse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[d]Primary Material | Tortoiseshell, assessed\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[d]Period | Antique\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[d]Date | Circa 1870\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[d]Origin | England\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[d]Style or Movement | Aesthetic Movement\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[d]Also Known As | visiting card case, calling card case\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[d]Secondary Material | Silverplate, assessed, over non-magnetic base metal\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[d]Construction or Technique | Molded shell case with a long hinge along the spine, decorated with engraved silverplate inlay in the piqué manner\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[d]Hardware or Mounts | Yellow-toned hinges engraved with a zigzag pattern, crowned thumb catch in silverplate, assessed\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[d]Marks | No maker’s marks, hallmarks, or plate marks found. Monogram reading LL engraved to the inlaid panel on the lid.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e[condition]\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAntique condition consistent with age and use, with losses to the shell. The back panel has heavy swirl scratching and small spots of surface loss. At both ends of the hinge, the shell beside the pins has pitted and broken away, most noticeably at the corner nearest the spine, where a ragged patch of shell is missing. There is smaller loss along the top edge. The interior has a small chip at the left edge near the hinge and light wear at the rim. The lid has a small pit beside the inlaid panel. The shell has been polished at some point, and I can’t say when or how. The hinges themselves are intact, and the zigzag on them is engraved decoration. There is no lining, no dividers, and no card slots. I haven’t tested the metal, so I am not calling it silver. Please review all photographs closely, as they form part of this description.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Austyn Marie Design","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67636978450710,"sku":"ENM-2095","price":385.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0896\/4623\/5926\/files\/October2026-12197.jpg?v=1791511217","url":"https:\/\/austynmariedesign.com\/products\/antique-aesthetic-movement-tortoiseshell-card-case","provider":"Austyn Marie Design","version":"1.0","type":"link"}