Featured Ivory Page Turner(?) with Monogram; Can You Read It?

This piece is thicker at the carved end (0.414"), tapering to 0.100" at the other; 11 3/4" long, ~1 5/16" wide; weight ~98 gm.

I have never been successful at reading monograms, especially assigning an order to the 2 or 3 letters representing a name.

I think I can read a G an' a V...but the third initial escapes my understanding.

Are there clues in the carved layering to the correct ordering of these initials? Does the overall style of the cartouche an' its enclosed initials suggest a date? And, is this a page turner or some other utensil? Thanks for lookin'!

 

Maybe an L?
It is a paper knife:

https://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/the-mystery-of-the-phantom-page-turner/

 

yup, paper knife !

 

VGL or LGV

 

I'm gobsmacked, AJ. The things y'learn in your dotage! Thanks!

 

LGV to my eyes!
Nice!!!

 

I have one similar but thinly sliced with a poorly done monogram. Yours is handsome.

 

I'm thinking possibly IGV.

 

The letter that looks like an I has a sharp whiplash curve to the right and up, making it look like an L.

 

I remember a similar discussion, which also linked to that article, about a lovely silver one:
https://www.antiquers.com/threads/sterling-silver-bookmark.72194/#post-4508774

My statement in that discussion:
"[OP's] piece looks the same shape as a paper folder/creaser from AJ's article... The article indicates paper knives had handles (a distinguishing characteristic)."

From the article, paper folders/creasers:



Is the ivory one thickened on one end (my eyes can't tell). Would that be like a "handle"?

 

But.... whit's item is not symmetrical, and it looks like one side is flat and could cut paper, wereas the other is more rounded and could function as a handle (of sorts). Am I grasping at straws?

 

I was also trying discern if one end of the ivory item was handle-ish.
We need a side view!

 

Not a bit, AJ. It is without question 'handled'. I'm sorry I didn't think to emphasize that in one of the pics.
I have another, Japanese, that I'm waiting for decent light to allow good pics...it will be posted in Discussion as soon as we get some sunshine...promise!

 

See above...but eventually!

 

Not a page-turner. Too thick and chunky. Paper-knife/letter-opener. I guess you could use the fat end of it for paper-folding, although in my experience, paper folders are shorter.

 

And yes, definitely ivory.

Paper-folders have to be chunkier to withstand the force of pressing and creasing the paper. If you used a page-turner for that, it'd just snap in half.

On the other hand, page-turners have to be really thin, so that you can slide them between the pages of a large book, without damaging the pages and turning the leaves (that's the whole point they were created).

You have a beautiful piece

 

Best I could do in crummy light...sorry.

 

that's handle enuf for me......

 

Thanks!

 

Thank you!