Sterling silver card case with diary and pencil by Hilliard & Thomason

Description

Sterling silver card case with diary and pencil by Hilliard & Thomason. Item 2448.

This very attractive sterling silver ladies card case and diary is engraved on the front with butterflies and tropical foliage inside a strapwork border. The reverse is engraved with ferns, flowers and a bird chasing an insect in flight, again inside the strapwork border. The engraved monogram on the front is MYIMN and below that is the date June 17th 1882. The inside is lined in blue watered silk and features an appointment diary consisting of three ivory leaves endorsed either side for the days Monday to Saturday-obviously Sunday being a day of rest, you didn’t make appointments. Written in pencil, any notes could be erased, but there are still a couple of names written on the leaves. This diary is closed by inserting the sterling silver pencil through three loops, which certainly adds to the piece as these pencils are invariably lost. It was made by Hilliard and Thomason of Birmingham in 1881 and is in excellent condition, other than a small stain to the silk lining. It is 100 mm (4 inches) long, 70 mm (2.75 inches) wide and 8 mm (3/8ths of an inch) thick.