BEAUTIFUL RARE CHINESE  CARVED IVORY LOUIS XVI FRENCH BILLET DOUX - LOVE LETTER HOLDER. 

Circa 1770 

Exemplary piece of fine 18th century LOUIS XVI  French Billet Doux : Love Letter Holder. 

This is a beautiful Georgian 18th Century carved ivory and crafted Louis XVI Billet Doux- Love letter Holder, this wonderful example. 

I believe to be crafted in China for the French court of the 18th Century, I estimate this dates to circa 1770 making it over 245 years old, 

This Chinese Carved Ivory French billet doux is of such beauty and  elegance, the carving is embellished with birds and snakes that run all around  the body of the Billet Doux so much work has gone into the crafting of this  extremely rare 18th century Billet Doux - Love letter holder.
It would of certainly  have carried the love letters of someone from among the Courtiers of  Marie-Antoinette and Louis XVI's era or shortly there after. A very romantic  item, the billet doux was the etui into which a rolled scroll of a love letter  might be passed along or hand delivered by one's servant. A courier's  envelope of sorts, these became so associated with the intimate love  notes carried  within, that today the term is itself a romantic one. This elegant Billet Doux is  superb; the quality of the craftsmanship is breathtaking. These came in a  myriad of forms, many survive and we see them in museums around the world. This  one could well be on display in the Musee des Arts Decoratif in the Louvre inParis, where many similar etui fascinate visitors every day.
 
 
Condition: lovely  condition with a couple of very faint hairline cracks (Please see photos ) also  a tiny chip on the base, that being said it doesn’t detract at all from  its rare beauty, just mentioned for accuracy