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Stunning French Palais Royal Ormolu & Mother of Pearl Notebook / Aide Memoire C.1820
Sold by The Fancy Fox
sold SA1159662
Sorry, but this item has been sold.
The Fancy Fox

The Fancy Fox

Sellingantiques Verified Since Nov 2015
Browse dealers 99 items
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    Offering fine porcelain and pottery, 18th century and later, silver, glass and other small attractive pieces
Id #SA1159662
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Stunning French Palais Royal Ormolu & Mother of Pearl Notebook / Aide Memoire C.1820

19th century
Sold 15 August 2025 · The Fancy Fox
This “Stunning French Palais Royal Ormolu & Mother of Pearl Notebook / Aide Memoire C.1820” found a buyer.

It was listed by The Fancy Fox. Sold pieces stay on Sellingantiques as a record of what has passed through, and the next one is rarely far away.

Description

A very pretty small French Palais-Royal gilt bronze mounted mother of pearl notebook, a ball / dance notebook or aide memoire. The frame with detailed cast pattern of running foliate vine and similar floral and foliate design running down the spine. In each corner are neoclassical urns with swagged garlands. The mother of pearl panels are engraved with daisy flowers and scrolled, feathery leaves and are inset with small gilt panels with an enamelled pansy in the centre and surrounded by a small engraved ring of leaves, The front cover also has the word "Souvenir" engraved.

The book is held closed by spiral sections of gilt bronze along the opening edge and into which slides the original lead pencil, with gilt outer and small gilt bronze flower to the top. When the pencil is released the double hinged spine opens to reveal a stunning green silk lined interior with a purse pocket to one side. Inside is tucked a fold out piece of paper printed in French with the Saint Days throughout the year. A loose silk bound notebook is gilded to the edge and the centre pages are card with the days of week printed in gilt. Restoration period c.1820.

It measures 5.8cm (2 1/4") tall by 4.7cm (1 7/8") wide.

In excellent condition with no damage, losses or repairs. Minimal handling wear in the main, just a bit of wear to the gilt inside the spine and a very tiny tear to the edge of the internal pocket. No staining to the silk. Some light pencil entries in the notebook on a few pages.

Date of Manufacture

The Fancy Fox has dated this Antique Ormolu Souvenir Notebook to the 19th Century.

Physical Dimensions
Height
5.8cm (2.28")
Width
4.7cm (1.85")
Depth
1cm (0.39")
Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA1159662
Dealers Internal Reference
FA1863
Dealers Notes

Payment is accepted by bank transfer, card payments (via an online invoice, I'm afraid we cannot take payments over the telephone), Paypal and UK personal cheque. If you prefer to pay card payments by Stripe rather than Paypal, please go to our website where we offer that option and additionally options to "Pay in 30 days" and to pay in 3 instalments, all securely supported by Klarna.

Price includes UK postage. We ship worldwide for a small cost, please ask for details.

We wish to ensure all our customers are happy with their purchases and offer a full no quibble return policy for all items returned within 14 days. We ask that returns are notified within 7 days where possible. Return postage is the buyer's responsibility in terms of cost and safeguarding the item in transit.

In the unlikely event any damage has occurred during shipping please advise as soon as possible and within 2 days of receipt at the latest. If you cannot inspect the item within those 2 days please just let us know.

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Description
A very pretty small French Palais-Royal gilt bronze mounted mother of pearl notebook, a ball / dance notebook or aide memoire.
“
The frame with detailed cast pattern of running foliate vine and similar floral and foliate design running down the spine.
The Fancy Fox

In each corner are neoclassical urns with swagged garlands. The mother of pearl panels are engraved with daisy flowers and scrolled, feathery leaves and are inset with small gilt panels with an enamelled pansy in the centre and surrounded by a small engraved ring of leaves, The front cover also has the word "Souvenir" engraved.

fig 1. An antique rectangular ormolu notebook featuring an engraved mother-of-pearl cover with the word Souvenir in script.
fig 1. Stunning French Palais Royal Ormolu & Mother of Pearl Notebook / Aide Memoire C.1820

The book is held closed by spiral sections of gilt bronze along the opening edge and into which slides the original lead pencil, with gilt outer and small gilt bronze flower to the top. When the pencil is released the double hinged spine opens to reveal a stunning green silk lined interior with a purse pocket to one side. Inside is tucked a fold out piece of paper printed in French with the Saint Days throughout the year. A loose silk bound notebook is gilded to the edge and the centre pages are card with the days of week printed in gilt. Restoration period c.1820.

fig 2. An antique rectangular ormolu notebook featuring an engraved mother-of-pearl cover with the word Souvenir in script.
fig 2. Stunning French Palais Royal Ormolu & Mother of Pearl Notebook / Aide Memoire C.1820

It measures 5.8cm (2 1/4") tall by 4.7cm (1 7/8") wide.

In excellent condition with no damage, losses or repairs. Minimal handling wear in the main, just a bit of wear to the gilt inside the spine and a very tiny tear to the edge of the internal pocket. No staining to the silk. Some light pencil entries in the notebook on a few pages.

Date of Manufacture

The Fancy Fox has dated this Antique Ormolu Souvenir Notebook to the 19th Century.

Height
5.8cm (2.28")
Width
4.7cm (1.85")
Depth
1cm (0.39")
Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA1159662
Dealers Internal Ref
FA1863
The Fancy Fox
The Fancy Fox
Sellingantiques verified Since Nov 2015

Offering fine porcelain and pottery, 18th century and later, silver, glass and other small attractive pieces

Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the The Fancy Fox Profile Page

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An antique rectangular ormolu notebook featuring an engraved mother-of-pearl cover with the word Souvenir in script. SOLD6+ MONTHS AGO
1 / 13
Archive I An antique rectangular ormolu notebook featuring an engraved mother-of-pearl cover with the word Souvenir in script. SOLD6+ MONTHS AGO

Stunning French Palais Royal Ormolu & Mother of Pearl Notebook / Aide Memoire C.1820

Archive II An antique rectangular ormolu notebook featuring an engraved mother-of-pearl cover with the word Souvenir in script. View II
Archive III An antique rectangular ormolu notebook featuring an engraved mother-of-pearl cover with the word Souvenir in script. View III
Archive IV An antique rectangular ormolu notebook featuring an engraved mother-of-pearl cover with the word Souvenir in script. View IV
Archive V An antique rectangular ormolu notebook featuring an engraved mother-of-pearl cover with the word Souvenir in script. View V
Archive VI An antique rectangular ormolu notebook featuring an engraved mother-of-pearl cover with the word Souvenir in script. View VI
Archive VII An antique rectangular ormolu notebook featuring an engraved mother-of-pearl cover with the word Souvenir in script. View VII
Archive VIII An antique rectangular ormolu notebook featuring an engraved mother-of-pearl cover with the word Souvenir in script. View VIII
Archive IX An antique rectangular ormolu notebook featuring an engraved mother-of-pearl cover with the word Souvenir in script. View IX
Archive X An antique rectangular ormolu notebook featuring an engraved mother-of-pearl cover with the word Souvenir in script. View X
Archive XI An antique rectangular ormolu notebook featuring an engraved mother-of-pearl cover with the word Souvenir in script. View XI
Archive XII An antique rectangular ormolu notebook featuring an engraved mother-of-pearl cover with the word Souvenir in script. View XII
Archive XIII An antique rectangular ormolu notebook featuring an engraved mother-of-pearl cover with the word Souvenir in script. View XIII
Enlarged Archival View
Telephone 07717 510 870
Location
Suffolk
United Kingdom
Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/fox
Verified Since Nov 2015
Items For Sale 99
Items Sold 1,643
The Fancy Fox
The Fancy Fox
Verified Since Nov 2015
View Dealer Info
Location: Suffolk, United Kingdom
Verified
Nov 2015
For Sale
99
Sold
1,643
An antique rectangular ormolu notebook featuring an engraved mother-of-pearl cover with the word Souvenir in script.
Stunning French Palais Royal Ormolu & Mother Of Pearl Notebook / Aide Memoire c.1820
Ref: SA1159662
An antique rectangular ormolu notebook featuring an engraved mother-of-pearl cover with the word Souvenir in script.
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Archival Detail
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Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing
  • ObjectNotebooks
  • Period19th century
  • StyleFrench Restoration
  • MaterialGilt Bronze, Mother of Pearl, Paper
  • ColourGold
  • MotifsEngraved scrollwork, Floral mounts, Script lettering
  • SizeH 5.8 cm (2 in) x W 4.7 cm (2 in) x D 1 cm (0 in)

Palais Royal souvenir notebooks, often called aide-memoires, were luxury novelty items sold in the high-end boutiques of the Palais Royal in Paris during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, typically featuring intricate metalwork and precious inlays designed for keeping brief notes.

These pocket notebooks were traditionally constructed using gilt bronze or ormolu frames, mother-of-pearl, tortoiseshell, or ivory panels, and frequently contained internal erasable ivory writing leaves with small silk-bound pencils.

Authentic pieces generally exhibit hand-chased ormolu mounts with fine detailing, natural variations in the mother-of-pearl or shell panels, period-correct script engraving such as Souvenir, and traditional hinge and spine construction characteristic of the early 19th century.

Such miniature objects of vertu are ideally displayed on a velvet-lined tray on a coffee table, inside a glass-fronted cabinet, or styled atop a stack of leather-bound books on a desk to add a touch of period elegance to a room.

Preservation requires keeping the item away from direct sunlight and high humidity to prevent warping of organic materials like mother-of-pearl, while cleaning should be restricted to gentle dusting with a soft, dry cloth without chemical polishes.
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