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January, 2017          The Antique Shoppe          Page 11
        THE ANTIQUE DETECTIVE—

        BY ANNE GILBERT

          OUT OF FASHION SMALL CASES ONCE A NECESSITY

           Beginning in the mid 19th century there were hundreds of types of small cases made
        to serve a variety of needs from holding calling cards to cigars.  Some are still useful, like
        toothpick cases. Depending on what they were made of they are usually an affordable
        collectible. Least expensive would be those made of leather and cheap metals.
           Consider how impressive it would be to remove your business cards from an elegant
        antique mother-of-pearl or sterling silver calling card case! Or, if you can afford it, try a
        gold case. Even in their day calling card cases were a status symbol and not cheap.
           Collecting possibilities are intricately carved ivory examples as well as papier                                                    Art Deco card case.
                                                                                                                                   -Decorative Design Works.
        mache’. Other materials used were tortoise shell and beadwork. To recognize a                                                Indianapolis, IN
        card case look for a hinged opening at one end or with a top that lifts off. Both
        men and women carried them. Those made for men often had a monogram if they                           Mid-century  modern  offers  cigarette  cases  in  such
        were metal.                                                                                        novel  materials  as  Italian  Murano  glass  and  designs
           Silver and silver plated cases were often heavily engraved or decorated with                    reflecting  the  motifs  of  the  era.  Popular  were  flying
        novel raised designs of repouss’e work.                                                            saucers, satellites and amoebae.
           By the late 19th century they were produced and even sold in Sears Roebuck                         You may not recognize an early cigar case if you see
        catalogs. However, even some of them had interesting motifs. At about the same                     one. They were small to hold the smaller cigars in use
        time leather card cases came into vogue. Just before World War I combination                       at the time.
        vanity and calling-card cases were introduced in sterling silver and silver plate.                    An oddity were the cigar cases made  of seal skin
        There are colorful Art Deco cases still available for as little as $20.                            around 1900.
           CLUES: There is still time to start collecting cigarette cases from the past.                      Still around, awaiting discovery, are the early
        Look for the stylized Art Deco types that combined color enamels with silver-                      spectacle cases. In the late 19th century they were made
        plate and nickel. interesting would be those given as presentation gifts. Inside you               in Japan of decorated  papier  mache’ as well as tin,
        may discover historic inscriptions and famous names.                                               leather  and  silver  plate. Those  of  papier  mache’  were
           During the early 20th century some of the                                                       hand painted. The same types were also made in China.
        most  expensive  and  elegant  were  made  in                                                      Cases of leather and pressed paper often had button flaps.
        Russia. Often you can recognize them by their                                          Victorian silver card   By the 20th century spectacle cases were
        use  of  “niello”,  a  black,  metallic  alloy  that                                 case with engraving of   made of aluminum and plastic.
        was pressed into designs on silver. Of course                                     Buckingham Palace. C. 1848.   There are still discoveries awaiting at flea
        the ultimate then, and now, would be a Cartier                                    English. -Bonhams Auctions,   markets and garage sales.
        cigarette case in gold, with precious stones.  Toothpick case. French. Gold. C. 1819-1838  London, UK
                                                       -Bonhams Auctions, London, UK



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