Opera glasses - 1850-1900

Rare Berlin court optician theater glass in engraved luxury edition with original case

Headline

Elegance of the Belle Époque – rare opera glass with engraved brass body and original Berlin court optician case

Catalog description

Germany, Berlin, around 1885–1910

Fine and high-quality theater glass of the Belle Époque in an unusually decorative design. The gilded brass body shows a rarely encountered, fully engraved and guilloché surface ornamentation of remarkable precision. The geometrically arranged engraving gives the object an extraordinary lighting effect and sets it apart clearly from the much more common smooth standard versions.

The conically formed tubes are equipped with light, marbled coverings and elegantly contrast with the finely chased brass components. Central focusing drive with original three-wheel knob. Preserved in the accompanying original case with gold tooling from the Berlin Court Optician:

"U. Hess Nachf., Hofoptiker, Berlin S., Kommandantenstraße 51"

The term "Hofoptiker" refers to the supply to royal and upscale bourgeois clientele and underscores the original positioning of the piece in the upper quality segment of its time.

Special emphasis should be placed on the elaborate engraving work of the brass body. While the majority of comparable opera glasses are merely smooth or simply grooved housings, here a fully ornamental decor of high craftsmanship was executed. Such luxurious variants appear considerably rarer on the market.

Provenance

Berlin, German Empire

Distributed by U. Hess Nachf., Hofoptiker Berlin

Era

Belle Époque / Historicism
ca. 1885–1910

Material

* Gilded brass
* Finely engraved and guilloché brass body
* Light-colored tube coverings
* Glass optics
* Original leather case with silk and velvet lining

Condition:
Age-appropriate good to very good condition of the opera glass. Collector’s condition with authentic patina. Engravings unusually well preserved. Original case present, unfortunately cracked (see photos)!

Collector significance:
Decorative opera glasses with original Hofoptiker case are regularly sought; pieces with such elaborate engraving of the brass body are clearly rarer than the usual production models. The object convincingly combines optical history, cultural history, and decorative qualities.