Antique Oriental themed pre-ban Ivory Aide Memoir Chatelaine booklet.

Antique Oriental themed pre-ban Ivory Aide Memoir Chatelaine booklet.

The front and back cover pages made from pre-ban Ivory and the 5 inner pages from Celluloid.
The cover pages featuring beautiful and detailed hand etched/engraved artworks , the one side featuring a Kingfisher bird perched on a swamp branch amongst foliate and flowers, the other side featuring a Pigeon in flight amongs branches and cherry blossoms. Signed by the Artist .

Aide memoires were riveted booklets made of very thin slices of ivory, usually numbering between five to eight pages in length.

More elaborate versions had covers of pierced silver, mother-of-pearl, or tortoise-shell as decoration, while others had simple ivory covers, sometimes with silver edgings or cartouches riveted on.

Aide memoires were popular during the 1700s and 1800s, slowly dying out in the early 20th century, and their existence is directly linked to the evolution of writing instruments during this period.

On an aide memoire, you wrote in pencil the things you needed to remember for that week. The dates of doctor’s appointments, nights at the theatre, dinner with friends, shopping that had to be done, and so on. At the end of each week, the ivory sheets were wiped clean with a damp cloth, and the details for the next week’s engagements were written down.

They usually resided in a gentleman’s coat pocket, on a watch-chain, in a lady’s handbag, or else hung from a chain on her chatelaine. Aide memoires designed for chatelaines and pocketwatch chains came with a ring, swing-toggle or hook on the end so that they could be clipped on safely without fear of loss or breakage.

*chain not included*

Measurements :The Chatelaine Aide Memoir booklet measures 7cm x 4.9cm.Total weight of 51.5grams.