A very fine cased lady's necessaire made and retailed by Howell & James, veneered with mother-o-pearl and abalone, the central Mediterranean scene engraved with a British ship and a Xebec. There is further inlay of nacre of various hues used produce a scene with a hunter and his dog and two local people surveying a ruined column. Within are various tools necessary to a lady of the day includng a mother-o-pearl letter opener with a folding penknife, marked at the hinge of the blade with the maker's name, together with a fine propelling pencil, bodkin, thimble, hole maker and a fine pair of scissors with a pierced and engraved design of a moth. English circa 1830.
w:5.5 in x d:3.25 in x h:1.25 in
The firm of Howell and James was founded in 1819 by James Howell and Isaac James who were originally silk mercers and retail jewellers. The company had premises at 5, 7 and 9 Regent Street and was noted for the variety and quality of its stock. In 1838 James left the business and the partnership then became known as Howell James & Co. By 1865 the firm employed over 140 women, most of whom lived above the shop.
Howell James & Co. exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851, the 1862 International Exhibition and the International Exposition of 1867, Paris.
Item Code: 2656
£ 2250
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