Fine Antique French Grand Tour Souvenir Purse, Tortoise Shell 18k Pique, Eglomise of Luxembourg Palace

Isn’t it a gem! A little Grand Tour souvenir, dating c.1850-70s, in gorgeous cognac to chocolate mottled tortoise shell with a souvenir view (eglomise – back-painted glass) of a rare scene: Luxembourg Palace from the gardens. The purse is beautifully preserved, obviously a very special souvenir, but the intrigue is also that in all my decades of collecting, I don’t think I’ve even found a Luxembourg Palace painting. Just look! Elaborate pique in gold, silver, mother of pearl or abalone shell – those tiny dots really shimmer (only one missing). A Napoleon III or mid-Victorian traveler’s treasure, the silk lining is fully intact and separates into 4 compartments, one with clasp. Of all that 18k gold pique and border, florals, only one of the tiny round dots (1mm) has come loose in its 170 or so years. The back-painted (eglomise) souvenir panel is also backed with mother of pearl and shimmers with light and color at an angle, through the tiny windows. The tiny painting is 1.25″ x 1″ oval. A fabulous old beauty, isn’t it. 

Very good to excellent condition for age and type. This one is extra deep at 1 full inch when compressed and it expands from there on one side, though there is a little split to the leather baffle. The other side has been sealed so it no longer expands, again, likely because of fragile old leather baffle. The tortoise shell panels are thick and elegantly crafted, and have not a single nip nor chip nor bug bite – imagine it! So lovely. The gold cartouche on backside has a lightly monogrammed “L W” in case you want to change your name. Isn’t it a dream. 

IMPORTANT NOTE regarding antique tortoise shell or ivory: We are great supporters of protection for endangered species in our modern world. We never buy or sell anything 100 years or newer; we donate to anti-poaching organizations; we don’t hunt; we conserve in ways that impact global warming (we’re totally solar at home), knowing those measures also protect the animals in the wild today. We also recognize the vast cultural history we preserve with our care and reverence for these antique objects, and agree with CITES that objects over 100 years of age have nothing whatsoever to do with species depletion in our current world. 

Our offering exceeds the age limitation of “more than 100 years of age”, and is well within the exemption for CITES regulation. If imported, met the CITES regulation. This item will be handled and shipped from our Utah business, and is not available for shipment internationally, nor within the USA to California, NY, Nevada, Hawaii, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington if it contains ivory, sorry. Please see our small print for more details.