Antique Mother-of-Pearl Opera Glasses With Original Fitted Case

$275.00
Sold Out

A charming pair of antique opera glasses with fluted mother-of-pearl barrels and silver-tone metal fittings, featuring a central milled focus wheel and a folding hinge for compact storage. No maker's mark is visible on close inspection, so these are offered unsigned rather than attributed to a specific maker or country of origin. They retain their original fitted case, a two-lobed leather box with a carrying handle and brass peg closure; the exterior leather is heavily worn and rubbed through in areas, and the reddish/pink silk lining shows tearing and thinning consistent with age. The mother-of-pearl shows warm, even patination with no cracks or losses, and the mechanism opens, closes, and focuses smoothly. A lovely small object of 19th-century theater culture, ready to display or use.

Listed dimensions reflect the case size. Binoculars measure 3.5" W, ~1.25" D, and adjust between 2.25" and 3" L

NOTE: Photo 2 is AI-generated styling inspiration to show how this piece might live in a room. All other photos depict the actual item, with the condition shown as-is.

A charming pair of antique opera glasses with fluted mother-of-pearl barrels and silver-tone metal fittings, featuring a central milled focus wheel and a folding hinge for compact storage. No maker's mark is visible on close inspection, so these are offered unsigned rather than attributed to a specific maker or country of origin. They retain their original fitted case, a two-lobed leather box with a carrying handle and brass peg closure; the exterior leather is heavily worn and rubbed through in areas, and the reddish/pink silk lining shows tearing and thinning consistent with age. The mother-of-pearl shows warm, even patination with no cracks or losses, and the mechanism opens, closes, and focuses smoothly. A lovely small object of 19th-century theater culture, ready to display or use.

Listed dimensions reflect the case size. Binoculars measure 3.5" W, ~1.25" D, and adjust between 2.25" and 3" L

NOTE: Photo 2 is AI-generated styling inspiration to show how this piece might live in a room. All other photos depict the actual item, with the condition shown as-is.

DIMENSIONS

4.5ʺW × 2ʺD × 3ʺH

MATERIALS

Glass, Metal, Mother-of-Pearl

STYLES

Edwardian

PERIOD

Late 19th Century

CONDITION

Mother-of-pearl: sound, no cracks or chips visible; warm patina/coloring consistent with age, slight tone variation between panels
Silver-tone fittings: some surface tarnish and minor scattered spotting, as shown in photos; mechanism (hinge, focus wheel) functions smoothly
Case: heavy wear to exterior leather with rub-through to a lighter underlayer in several spots; hinge intact and functional; brass closure peg intact; interior silk lining torn/thinning in multiple spots on both sides, visible fraying at the opening edge. As shown in photos.