Antique French Portrait Miniature, c.1800-1815, French Empire, Napoleon Era English Tortoise Shell you wouldn't want to turn

you wouldn't want to turn this one into pillowtops

Forks are somewhere close to that

I think the higher value is in the complete book

Odd that I would know the story from the arrival scene

a covered "hidden" compartment in the upper portion of the writing surface for larger correspondence and your special letters (perhaps bound in an emerald green silk ribbon - love letters come to mind)

Antique French Portrait Miniature, c.1800-1815, French Empire, Napoleon Era English Tortoise Shell you wouldn't want to turnA superb miniature painting, Napoleon era painting, gouache on card, perfectly preserved under flat glass and in the original oval frame mount. Measurements noted on the photos. Very good to excellent condition for age and type. This painting is on heavy card, has a different surface texture than most miniatures of its era which were on thin natural wafer. No damage to this one. A flat cover glass is possibly a replacement for what, time wise, would