Pair of Antique hotsell Sunglasses in beautiful Lacquered Case

THE STORY - I ask myself it it were just the glasses or just the case would I have found them as touching as I do the pair together. Of course I cannot be certain that these have always been together but they came from a collection of largely sewing items which belonged to an elderly lady who sadly passed away. The lady was a customer of the owner of my favourite Antique Shop in Kent, who allowed me access to her beautiful collection, so I sense that it is possible that these glasses and this case hotsell have always been together . The sunglasses have a metal frame with small lenses which I am uncertain if they have any prescription to them, although one lens does feel thicker than the other. My instinct tells me they would date to the end of the 1800s but I have been frustrated in my research to find out when black lenses became widely used in sunglasses, coming up instead with blue and green options. The lenses are small and the sides of the frame have no hooks for one to put behind the ears and that is why I believe them to be Victorian and not later. The case is made of lacquered papier-mâché and has a beautiful central gilt pattern, with gilt around the edge of the case as well. It has what is described a frog mouth opening. And those glasses fit oh so well into that purple cloth interior of the case.

AGE - Circa 1890

CONDITION - Both the sunglasses and the case are in very good condition. There is light wear to the metal of the sunglasses and they are still amazingly straight, and fold flat. The lenses look free from scratches. The hinge of the case is still strong and it opens and closes securely, there are some light surface scratches but mainly to the back of the case and there is a little rubbing to the gilt decoration on one edge of the case. I certainly advise that these sunglasses should not be worn as there could be some prescription in the lenses and I am convinced they would not be classified safe as sunglasses today.

DIMENSIONS (Approx ) - Case - Length 6&1/4" / 15.5cm, Width 1&1/4" / 3cm, Height 3/8" / 1cm, Sunglasses - Front Width 4&1/4" / 10.5cm, Arm Length - 4&1/2" 11.5cm

There is a saying that always makes me smile 'that two parts are better than a whole' and for me I think it is certainly true in this instance. I find the sunglasses in their case so very touching and think they would make a wonderful addition to any collection. And I imagine how lovely it would have been to have witnessed that case being taken out and those glasses taken from within, I bet that person caused a lot of people to turn their heads in envy once they were wearing them.