Antique Folding Lorgnette in Carved Wooden Presentation Box
Antique Folding Lorgnette in Carved Wooden Presentation Box
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Additional Description:
A charming antique folding lorgnette or handheld double-lens viewing glass, presented in a fitted carved wooden box. The optical piece is made in a silver-tone white metal, likely nickel silver or a related alloy, with a slender telescoping-style handle terminating in a ring loop. The circular viewing frame opens on a hinge to reveal a second round lens, allowing the piece to be used as a compact personal viewing aid in the manner of a lorgnette. The handle shows subtle linear decoration, and the mount has crisp, functional mechanical joints typical of late 19th to early 20th century personal optical accessories.
The accompanying box is especially attractive, with an allover chip-carved checker or basket-weave surface and an applied floral motif to the lid. The interior is lined in dark velvet and fitted to house the lorgnette. Together, the set has a refined, intimate scale that would display beautifully in a vanity, sewing, dressing table, or optical/curiosity collection. The overall presentation suggests it may have been sold as a personal accessory or gift item rather than a purely utilitarian optical tool.
Era:
Late 19th to early 20th century
History:
Lorgnettes were fashionable personal optical devices used throughout the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, especially in social settings such as the theater, opera, salons, and formal gatherings. Unlike spectacles that rested on the face, lorgnettes were designed to be held briefly to the eyes and were often as decorative as they were functional. By the late Victorian and Edwardian periods, many examples were made in silver, silver plate, nickel alloys, or other white metals, and could be sold in fitted cases or boxes. This example reflects that tradition, pairing a practical folding optical form with a decorative presentation box that enhances its collectible appeal.
Provenance:
Likely Continental European or English in origin; exact origin unknown. Acquired with its fitted carved wooden box.
Materials:
White metal or nickel-silver tone metal, glass lenses, carved wood box, velvet lining, brass-tone hinges and lock components
Dimensions:
Leave blank
Disclaimers:
Wear consistent with age and use, including surface rubbing and minor finish loss to the wooden box, light oxidation and handling wear to the metal, and visible light scratches or marks to the lenses/glass. The exact metal content has not been tested, and no maker’s mark is clearly legible from the provided photographs. The box appears associated and well-fitted, though whether it is original to the lorgnette cannot be guaranteed. Mechanical function appears present in the opening lens frame, but it should be handled gently as an antique optical accessory.
Additional Description:
A charming antique folding lorgnette or handheld double-lens viewing glass, presented in a fitted carved wooden box. The optical piece is made in a silver-tone white metal, likely nickel silver or a related alloy, with a slender telescoping-style handle terminating in a ring loop. The circular viewing frame opens on a hinge to reveal a second round lens, allowing the piece to be used as a compact personal viewing aid in the manner of a lorgnette. The handle shows subtle linear decoration, and the mount has crisp, functional mechanical joints typical of late 19th to early 20th century personal optical accessories.
The accompanying box is especially attractive, with an allover chip-carved checker or basket-weave surface and an applied floral motif to the lid. The interior is lined in dark velvet and fitted to house the lorgnette. Together, the set has a refined, intimate scale that would display beautifully in a vanity, sewing, dressing table, or optical/curiosity collection. The overall presentation suggests it may have been sold as a personal accessory or gift item rather than a purely utilitarian optical tool.
Era:
Late 19th to early 20th century
History:
Lorgnettes were fashionable personal optical devices used throughout the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, especially in social settings such as the theater, opera, salons, and formal gatherings. Unlike spectacles that rested on the face, lorgnettes were designed to be held briefly to the eyes and were often as decorative as they were functional. By the late Victorian and Edwardian periods, many examples were made in silver, silver plate, nickel alloys, or other white metals, and could be sold in fitted cases or boxes. This example reflects that tradition, pairing a practical folding optical form with a decorative presentation box that enhances its collectible appeal.
Provenance:
Likely Continental European or English in origin; exact origin unknown. Acquired with its fitted carved wooden box.
Materials:
White metal or nickel-silver tone metal, glass lenses, carved wood box, velvet lining, brass-tone hinges and lock components
Dimensions:
Leave blank
Disclaimers:
Wear consistent with age and use, including surface rubbing and minor finish loss to the wooden box, light oxidation and handling wear to the metal, and visible light scratches or marks to the lenses/glass. The exact metal content has not been tested, and no maker’s mark is clearly legible from the provided photographs. The box appears associated and well-fitted, though whether it is original to the lorgnette cannot be guaranteed. Mechanical function appears present in the opening lens frame, but it should be handled gently as an antique optical accessory.