This is a stunning Victorian little parasol etui made of bovine bone. It is a gorgeous and unusual piece in that it has a lovely Stanhope lens to the top for popular Grand Tour destination, Menton in France. The body is beautifully carved as a parasol and unscrews nicely to reveal a nice clean cavity for needles, bodkins, any small items. The lens goes through the top and is slanted and beautifully clear with six scenes. It also has a rare flattened front with a faded painting of a traditionally costumed lady and the name Menton. It has minor age related wear and measures 4.25 inches long.
Stanhopes or Stanho-scopes are optical devices that enable the viewing of microphotographs without using a microscope. They were invented by René Dagron in 1857. Dagron bypassed the need for an expensive microscope to view the microscopic photographs by attaching the microphotograph at the end of a modified Stanhope lens. He called the devices bijoux photo-microscopiques or microscopic photo-jewelry. In 1862, Dagron displayed the devices at the Exhibition in London, where he got an "Honourable Mention" and presented them to Queen Victoria.
As an antique item it will show signs of age and patina.
Please examine the photographs carefully and do feel free to ask any questions, I am happy to help.
