Rare Napoleon III Victorian Antique Blond Tortoise Shell Tiara or Mantilla Ornamental 4.5" Comb, Grand Tour Souvenir
Large and elegantly crafted early to mid-1800 mantilla or tiara ornamental comb in exquisite blond tortoise shell, Napoleon III Era (c.1850-70) From my own collections of decades, being disbursed now. Beautiful coloration to the natural shell and really quite pristine in condition - someone's Grand Tour souvenir of either Italy (Naples area) or of France. Nine carved blond tortoise shell balls top it like a crown, and those range from 10mm to 16.5mm in diameter - fabulous! Full measurements noted on the photos. Very good to excellent condition for age and type, over 170 years of age, and I see only a single flaw to note: showing on photos, a small area of 'roughness', though you won't really see it without enlarging and putting it under photo lights. We've worked to capture it for your review though, upper left when facing front-on. This one is near perfect. We've had it stored for decades in an archival pouch. The tortoise shell is lustrous and just stunning on this one. IMPORTANT