This small perfume flask is carved from a coquilla nut. This is the nut of the piassava palm that is native to Brazil. Its colour and hardness make it a very suitable nut for small, intricate carvings, giving it its name 'vegetable ivory'.
The carvings display finely wrought flower, fruit, and foliage motifs. The flask is fitted with a gold plated cap and chains, making it wearable as a pendant.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Size: 36 x 22 x 16 m, excluding the chains.
Weight: 5.54 grams.
Age: 19th Century, also known as the Victorian era, circa 1880s.
Material: The cap is made from 14k gold, the chains are made from a gold-plated metal.
Condition: In great antique condition with only minor wear, consistent with age.