Antique French Desk or Writer's Set, 6pc, Seal, Ruler, etc c.1790-1820, Tortoise Shell and Abalone Pique
An exceptional boxed set, dating late 1700s to earliest 1800s, the set seems never to have been used, but what must have been a steel letter opener blade (missing from the handle) must have corroded in the box as it was stored. You can see in the box, it deteriorated the silk and silk velvet where that blade would have been. The handle to it remains in the set without the blade. The remainder of the desktop or writer's tools are complete. Beautifully crafted tortoise shell handles on all, and ruler, each piece with brass and natural mother of pearl and abalone shell inlays. Long in my collections. Full measurements noted on the photos. Very good to excellent condition for age and type, with exception of the missing blade to the letter opener or page cutter tool which has been removed from the handle, likely for corrosion. I'm sure that blade would have been steel, perhaps an engraved elaborate ornamentation and likely other metals in that ornamental engraving on both sides - perhaps go