Fine Opera & Spy Glasses

 Fine Opera & Spy Glasses were not only high-quality optical instruments but also an accessory at the height of fashion since the 18th century.

On the 19th June 2019, Flints offered one of the finest collections of Opera and Spy glasses are seen at public auction in the UK for over a decade. Examples will include finely hand-painted patterns by skilled Miniaturist artists, to bound glasses wrapped in exotic ivory, tortoiseshell and shagreen.

Within this collection, we will be offering two types of opera glasses, monocular and binocular. Meanwhile, below is a small selection of what we offered.

A Luxury Variant of ‘La Mignonne’ Opera Glasses, Swiss, engraved Lutz Shultz. gilt brass and leather with painted porcelain panel. In green leather case, retailed by Lutz & Shultz Buenos Aires – Circa 1890.

A Pair of Opera Glasses, French, c.1860. Gilt brass and mother-of-pearl with painted enamel panels on translucent blue enamel ground, with gilt overlay – Circa 1860.

A Ten-Draw Monocular by William Warris, Sheffield, England, C.1805. In fused plate with applied silver Royal coat of arms ‘Warris’ Patent, Dieu et Mon Droit’, 7.7cm extended, in Morocco case. Note: Warris patented his nine-draw opera glass 4th August 1804. This is a rare ten-draw variant.

Bidding was strong during the sale, therefore, many of the lots offered exceeded estimates. However, if you missed out on this sale, we will have another fantastic selection available in our 29th November sale. In addition, if you are interested in consigning, please contact our specialist Keith Petts.