Featured STERLING SILVER BOOKMARK SLEEVE (???) Ca. 1910.

Discussion in 'Silver' started by Shangas, Oct 18, 2023.

  1. Shangas

    Shangas Underage Antiques Collector and Historian

    I picked this up at a small antiques shop while out walking today.

    The shopkeeper said it was an Edwardian (certainly looks like it) sterling silver BOOKMARK SLEEVE.

    393809087_834861545306793_6367832653457030039_n.jpg 392954168_834861575306790_8839204394167895459_n.jpg

    The original bookmark was still inside it, but it was INCREDIBLY fragile and falling apart. The leather was paper-thin, and crumbled when I was examining it.

    It was too badly worn-out to justify trying to fix it, so I decided to use some materials I had to make my own bookmark, using the old one as a template.

    Like the original bookmark, I made the new one to be double-length, so it has to fold-over before sliding into the sleeve. It's made of vintage alligator leather, and suede.

    392951906_834861601973454_6745866719442590378_n.jpg 391635948_834862975306650_1728184365875250307_n.jpg

    It measures 6in. long by 1in. wide, just like the original does, and fits in just as well.

    393217665_834861621973452_3215154078484497788_n.jpg

    The mark on the bottom of the sleeve.

    391668963_834875101972104_6888636982533309713_n.jpg

    The new bookmark inside the sleeve.

    Now - I've heard of sterling silver bookmarks. I've heard of sterling silver paper-knives, letter-openers, page-turners, and even sterling silver paperweights...but I've NEVER heard of a sterling silver BOOKMARK SLEEVE.

    If the original bookmark hadn't already been inside it when I purchased this piece, I would never have believed it. It fitted inside PERFECTLY, and was clearly original to the piece.

    Has anybody ever heard of/seen another one of these things??
     
  2. Bakersgma

    Bakersgma Well-Known Member

    How cool is that! I'd call it japanesque, from the Whiting Manufacturing Co of Attleborough, Massachusetts. I wonder how it got all the way around the world to Australia!

    upload_2023-10-18_6-15-28.jpeg
     
  3. moreotherstuff

    moreotherstuff Izorizent

    I wonder if it might have been a mini-strop for a razor? Maybe a knife-sharpener part of a desk set?
     
  4. 2manybooks

    2manybooks Well-Known Member

    It looks like the original insert was made in 3 layers - the outside of leather, the inside of a woven, napped fabric (like a velvet), and the white layers in between may have provided stiffness. No idea what its use was, though.
     
  5. 2manycats

    2manycats Well-Known Member

    I cannot believe this was a bookmark. Far too elaborate, with the dual surfaces, and why would you need a portable bookmark? How often does one encounter a book while on-the-go and need to mark one's place in it? This must have been a tool for something we no longer do, pen-wiping, perhaps. Lovely case, though.

    I further observe that leather left in a book for long periods will discolor the paper, those horrible fringed leather souvenir bookmarks sold at tourist spots being the prime example.
     
  6. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    Ditto, and red is prone to stain anyway.
     
    Last edited: Oct 18, 2023
  7. Shangas

    Shangas Underage Antiques Collector and Historian

    Hey guys,

    Thanks for the replies. The shopkeeper insisted it was a bookmark. I'm not sure how he arrived at that conclusion, but I saw no reason to question it at the time.

    It's very small. Fully open - 6 inches by 1 inch. And the leather and velvet are the wrong type to strop a razor on (and not long enough to do that, anyway).

    It appears to be Moroccan leather, paper/cardboard, and then velvet.

    I honestly couldn't answer this. Not a pen-wiper - no evidence of ink-staining, etc. I can't imagine what something like this is, that it would be necessary (or even desirable) to keep it stored in a STERLING SILVER CASE of all things.

    If anybody has any ideas about what it REALLY is, please let me know!!
     
  8. Joan

    Joan Well-Known Member

    Looks like it was meant for a lady because of the floral decoration. Maybe a needle case....the needles may have been stuck directly into the velvet or may have been kept in a separate piece of material inside of the folded leather. Three inches seems about the right length for sewing needles. I've seen antique needle cases where a small piece of thin flannel is placed between a little flip-open cover.
     
    Any Jewelry and bercrystal like this.
  9. bluumz

    bluumz Quite Busy

    I love those "horrible" fringed leather souvenir bookmarks and have quite a few! Admittedly, I never use them as bookmarks, they just add some subtle interest to my displays on my bookcases.
    As souvenirs go, they are cheap and easily carried home in a suitcase. :)
     
    moreotherstuff likes this.
  10. Shangas

    Shangas Underage Antiques Collector and Historian

    Maybe, but there's also no evidence of needles.
     
  11. Joan

    Joan Well-Known Member

    The needles may have been kept in a separate piece of fabric. Or maybe it was used to hold a sterling silver toothpick, although most sterling toothpick cases I've seen were designed to hang on a chatelaine. Another possibility could be a stamp case?? it seems like it was designed to hold something or other.
     
  12. Shangas

    Shangas Underage Antiques Collector and Historian

    Unless it's a very THIN toothpick, I don't see that happening.
     
  13. bluumz

    bluumz Quite Busy

    Just a random thought...It seems an appropriate size to hold a MOP Chinese gaming counter or two... but I doubt someone would carry around so few...

    [​IMG]
     
    komokwa likes this.
  14. J Dagger

    J Dagger Well-Known Member

    Too short for comb? A bookmark doesn’t sound right but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t.
     
    komokwa likes this.
  15. Shangas

    Shangas Underage Antiques Collector and Historian

    When I saw it for the first time, I thought it WAS a comb, but it looks far too small for that.
     
    J Dagger likes this.
  16. 2manybooks

    2manybooks Well-Known Member

  17. Shangas

    Shangas Underage Antiques Collector and Historian

    Maaaybe? That said, it's only 3 inches long, so...it'd be a VERY small comb.
     
    J Dagger likes this.
  18. 2manybooks

    2manybooks Well-Known Member

    One of the ones on etsy is 92mm - quite close in size. I saw some mustach combs that had a folding handle.
     
    J Dagger and Any Jewelry like this.
  19. DragonflyWink

    DragonflyWink Well-Known Member

    It's a court plaster case - the plush-lined leather insert held strips of adhesive material used to stop bleeding and aid in healing cuts or blemishes, or sometimes just for beauty-spots (patches)...

    ~Cheryl
     
    J Dagger, verybrad, stracci and 5 others like this.
  20. Shangas

    Shangas Underage Antiques Collector and Historian

    I looked it up - oh my god, I think you're right!!

    Now I've REALLY seen everything!

    ...I need to sit down for a minute...
     
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