Puckerings has dated this piece to the 1850s.
It was a technique, which required a high degree of skill and patience. It was executed very lavishly, in that the frequent cuts wasted a great amount of the precious materials used.
Ivory, silver, pewter (or other metals), wood and horn were cut into faceted rods which were bound together to form geometric patterns. When the glue has set, the rods were sliced in transverse sections. This gave the maker a number of angled circular pieces in the original pattern. Several variations of patterns could be achieved by combining the materials in different ways. Ivory was sometimes dyed green to give an extra colour, such as this example.
This is a highly collectible card case in excellent condition, measuring 3 3/8" x 2 1/2" x 5/8" thick, so doesn't accommodate a full size modern business card.
Item ID: 34850
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Puckerings has dated this piece to the 1850s.
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Antique Anglo Indian Sadeli Mosaic Visiting Card Case C.1850
