Absolutely exquisite pair of operable mother of pearl high quality luxury French Opera Glasses with fancy lorgnette style handle and gilt metal mounts. Premium mother of pearl and only the most glowing pearlescent shells of abalone or oyster, particularly strong in color, were used in the making of these Victorian binoculars; of a French maker and marked “in the round” of each front eye piece “La Ville, Paris” . This type of opera glass with mother of pearl embellishment was a French specialty and was the finish design choice of the upper echelon of society. Not often found with the rotating handle, these opera glasses were treated as an item, much like jewelry with fancy accoutrements like a mother of pearl application made for the aristocracy.
The condition is excellent; the glasses and lenses are clean and functional; focusing knob is operable; the mother of pearl is beautifully applied to the surface. Condition is excellent and all original; there is an ever so slight 1/32″ piece of mother of pearl lacking at the base of the handle from usage (see image); hardly noticeable. These are marked and authentic; beware of later made in Japan “copycats”.
5 1/4″ high (height of the handle when open—rotates)
4 1/4″ wide
2 1/4″ deep