Featured What are these?...

Discussion in 'Silver' started by Erik Aunapuu, Aug 14, 2024.

  1. Erik Aunapuu

    Erik Aunapuu Well-Known Member

    Hey folks!

    I need your help with these two little pieces. I am struggling to identify what they are made for or what they are called. I understand that one is marked GAB which is a Swedish maker.
    Measurements approx. 5,5 cm (2.2 inches) x 4 cm (1.6 inches).

    Thank you in advance :)


    02a41b95-a5d2-4782-9209-43c4f8865037.jpg 71c2d150-58f4-411b-aec6-f83f1dfa49cb.jpg 504c047d-d7da-429f-a1c9-9ea209af3718.jpg c45d75d5-0438-475b-835d-8b5c799e8b66.jpg d4043c8e-eb00-4ec6-9870-c84019398573.jpg 5d22acb4-9a4f-45b2-a9ae-9ec117a6011d.jpg
     
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  2. laura9797

    laura9797 Well-Known Member

    are they calling card holders?
     
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  3. Debora

    Debora Well-Known Member

    So tiny. Can't imagine what their purpose would be. Do see that sellers of similars refer to them as "Victorian book form cases" which is terminology I didn't know.

    Debora
     
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  4. Erik Aunapuu

    Erik Aunapuu Well-Known Member

    Yep, it's a mystery to me. I did manage to learn something new in my search. 'Carnet De bal' - but I am not sure if these are...
     
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  5. daveydempsey

    daveydempsey Moderator Moderator

    I agree Card Cases.
     
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  6. Debora

    Debora Well-Known Member

    Don't think it's a dance card. Too small. And too small for a card case, I'd think.

    "Victorian calling cards were large and could be extremely ornate, with the names usually printed instead of handwritten. Women's cards were squarish and fairly large, usually about 2.5 x 3 inches."

    Debora
     
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  7. NanaB

    NanaB Well-Known Member

    Could that have been from a Chatelaine ?
     
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  8. sabre123

    sabre123 Well-Known Member

    I would think this was a dude's case given the Scandinavian name "Axel" (Axels likely being a possessive form of the name).
     
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  9. johnnycb09

    johnnycb09 Well-Known Member

    I dont see anything inside them to hold something ? Seems like whatever you put in there would slide out when you opened it.
     
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  10. 2manybooks

    2manybooks Well-Known Member

  11. DragonflyWink

    DragonflyWink Well-Known Member

    As Debora already said, it's not a calling card case, even the smallest would still be around 3" long, there were small aide memoires or dance cards made, but they were typically intended to hang, along with a pencil, from a chatelaine or finger ring. The small souvenir books like the one 2manybooks linked from Etsy typically had reference to the contents, even if just 'Souvenir', the accordion folded contents just glued in.

    Those removable pins seem to point to contents that could be replaced, my first thought was perhaps a needle book, it's the right size, but those typically have the layers of fabric stitched in, like Gorham piece linked from Rubylane - would expect a needle case to belong to woman, but 'Axel' might have been a tailor. Honestly don't know what these pieces are, stamp box came to mind as well (but why the pins?) - perhaps they just had folded over paper for notes, held in by the pin...


    Here is a later (1902) GAB version in silver rather than nysilver, the outside design is the same, but has different clasps and there appears to be two rings in the center that would have held a now missing pin, the engraved name 'Thyra' would be feminine:

    https://www.tradera.com/en/item/202203/634408792/silver-bokparmar

    GAB-silver-book-1902-1.jpg

    GAB-silver-book-1902-2.jpg
    ~Cheryl
     
  12. komokwa

    komokwa The Truth is out there...!

    they're cool......
     
  13. Erik Aunapuu

    Erik Aunapuu Well-Known Member

    Thank you Cheryl for such a detailed response. I am very thankful!
    Thanks to others as well, this was helpful :)
     
  14. Shangas

    Shangas Underage Antiques Collector and Historian

    Definitely not card cases. Pull the pin and all your cards are on the floor. Whoops!!

    Also not an Aide-Memoir. They'd have ivory sheets or celluloid sheets inside.

    Book cover or notepad cover seems to be the most likely possibility.
     
  15. Red6

    Red6 Member

    Prayer holders?
     
  16. Bev aka thelmasstuff

    Bev aka thelmasstuff Colored pencil artist extraordinaire ;)

    I have a small, metal "book" that held a tiny rosary. My mother gave it to me when I was 6 or 7. It was similar in size, however, it wasn't flat like this.
     
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