Wonderful Gothic Victorian Letter Opener with a Claw Gripping a Ball of Agate for a Handle

THE STORY - I find it absolutely impossible to resist these Ball & Claw Finials whenever I come across them, there is something just so wonderfully Gothic about them. Indeed I have sold them before in my shop but they were all page markers and this is the first Letter Opener I have come across. The Letter Opener is small with the blade measuring approx 2&1/2" / 6.5cm long and would date to the end of the Victorian era circa 1900. The claw is brass with exquisite detailing of the scales on the claws and the talons gripping the ball which is made from Agate of a beautiful burnt Amber colour streaked with white. The blade of the Letter Opener I imagine to be Stainless Steel and it does open envelopes but I am sure it is not as sharp as it once was, so it does tear a bit.

AGE - Circa 1900

CONDITION - The Letter Opener is in very good condition, with no chips to the agate ball that I can see. The stainless steel blade does have a few light scratches and as I have already mentioned is not as sharp as it once was.

DIMENSIONS (Approx) - Length 4&1/2" / 11.5cm

Of course I wonder about who originally owned this little Letter Opener and all the letters it was used to open and whether the letters within brought joy, sadness or anger. But I have to say it makes me smile when I think of the little claw travelling across the top of the envelope in the process of opening it. My one sadness with all the Claw & Ball items I have come across is that they are not marked as I would love to know who produced such exquisitely designed items of such high quality that have endured in their appeal for oh so many years. They certainly deserve to be acknowledged.