Victorian Mother of Pearl and Abalone Monogrammed Visiting Card Case 1873

Description

Heading : Victorian Mother of Pearl and Abalone Monogrammed Visiting Card Case – 1873
Date : Dated 30th October 1873
Period : Victorian
Origin : Birmingham. England
Decoration : Geometric quilted pattern of mother of pearl. inset with green/blue abalone corners and border set over a bone base; enamel entwined letters R and I to centre panel on one side; working push-in closure; original green baize lining to both parts (hinged base and lid); has a small metal plaque fitted to one short edge engraved with the date as above
Size : 8.8  x  5.5  x  1.1cm
Condition : Excellent; no loss to the veneers at all; no cracks or splits.
Restoration : none
Weight : 40 grams

Notes : The Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham was known internationally for this type of work. They supplied everyone from the Tsars of Russia to the New York elite. The “shellwork” business grew from the early 19th century in tandem with the jewellery sector and employed more than three hundred people at peak. The shells were all imported. mostly from the South Atlantic and Pacific. and thus the location of Birmingham -being more than 100 miles from the sea – was an irrelevance. as these imported raw materials were brought inland via the canal network