Antique French Sterling Silver Gold Plate Vermeil Carnet Du Bal

This truly spectacular and rare carnet du bal came as quite a surprise to me. That is, once I cleaned it up. It's an amazing and very rare gem: sterling silver guilloche with gold plate exceptionally worked to create a tapestry of patterns, very rich, utterly beautiful.On the front is a tromp l'oeil design: an elaborately decorated window overlooking a harbor village at sunset, or sunrise for that matter. A boat sails peacefully across a still surface. Atop the window is a mascaron, a gargoyle I suspect, with scrolling acanthus about his head. The back is a potpourri of textures and shapes, magnificent The original blue silk lining is in very nice condition, there is a pocket, a ribbon for place holding, several pages of note paper and a calender with the year 1845 center front. The carnet still has the original pencil, also finely engraved. And it all comes in a silk lined box with fine hinges and brass clasps.

Both front and back are marked with the tete de sanglier silver guarantee, and the maker's mark.