Antique French Palais Royal Mother of Pearl Carnet du Bal, Note Pad w/ 18k Shield, Aide d' Memoire

One of the old Palais Royal treasures with all the charm we all look for from the early 1800s boutiques that lined the old Richelieu Palace grounds, this little 'necessaire' (empty pocket) is a lovely old one and might have come out of one of the grand coffrets the French made that had layers and layers of 'essentials' for travelers on the early 1800s Grand Tours, or might have been part of a smaller lady's necessaire along with sewing items. The shield cartouche is typical of these sets, and is 18k gold. In lovely form, it says "Souvenir" on one side, as you can see, and still has the 4 thin wafers within that are for taking notes, jotting visiting schedules and etc. Something like a Napoleon era iPhone ancestor, non? The long and lauded history of the Palais Royal is rich and amazing, and from Louis XIV to Napoleon and beyond, the old Palace was a thriving enterprise of theatre, dining and finest shopping for Royals, Courtiers and the wealthiest patrons and travelers of the worl