Magnificent Victorian Solid / Sterling Silver Magnifying Glass - 1887

A magnificent magnifying glass by the creme de la creme of English retailer's, Asprey of Bond Street, London. The silver is fully hallmarked for London 1928 together with the maker's mark W.M. The silver is also signed "Asprey London". Excellent antique condition with minor wear commensurate with age measuring 7 3/4" x 3 5/8" x 5/8". A slight wobble to the magnifier due to the traditional pinned construction rather than glued, mentioned purely for accuracy. The handle is made from polished Shagreen, a leather made from sharkskin or the skin of a Stingray. This type of Shagreen was first made popular by Jean-Claude Galluchat (d1774) a master leather worker in the Court of Louis XV in France. It became a fashion amongst the French aristocracy and later throughout Europe. Shagreen is derived from the French word “Chagrin”. Asprey is a British retailer of jewellery, leather, silver and other luxury goods. Founded in 1781, the House has historically been recognized as one of the world’s pre-eminent luxury goods brands and has a substantial client base of members of royalty, heads of state and important actors on the world stage. For over two centuries, Asprey has been regarded as a top British luxury lifestyle brand and the Bruton Street Flagship Store is considered a must see London destination. Asprey’s broad product assortment includes jewellery, leather goods, accessories, silver, watches, clocks, first edition...

Always very popular and a very useful desk-top accessory. These large circular magnifiers actually are the condenser or magnifier from a Magic Lantern dating to around 1910; they are...