LADY’S SILVER CARNET DE BAL WITH BONE LEAVES AND STYLUS. FRANCE, THIRD QUARTER OF THE 19TH CENTURY

An elegant lady’s carnet de bal, or dance card, made in France in the third quarter of the 19th century in 800-grade silver and intended for recording the order of dances, the names of dance partners, and brief personal notes.

The object is conceived in the form of a miniature folding fan. Thin bone leaves are enclosed between two silver covers, joined by a common pivot and opening fanwise. Their smooth surfaces allowed brief notes to be inscribed with the accompanying metal stylus. The stylus is attached to the carnet by a chain, serving both a practical and decorative purpose.

The silver covers are richly worked in relief in the Rococo manner. Their surfaces are animated by asymmetrical rocailles, C-scrolls, floral sprays and stylised shell motifs. The central area of the front cover is comparatively restrained and bears an engraved owner’s monogram. The upper hinged mount is likewise decorated with elaborate floral and rocaille ornament. The richness of the decoration, combined with the miniature scale, gives the object the character of a refined lady’s accessory of the Second Empire period.

The composition deliberately adopts the form of a fan, one of the characteristic accessories of European fashionable dress. The object represents a particularly elegant union of function and ornament, transforming an everyday instrument of ballroom etiquette into a sophisticated example of French decorative art.

Hallmarks: 800-grade silver. No information concerning specific assay or maker’s marks has been provided.

Dimensions: Length 8.5 cm. Width 4