CONTINENTAL SILVER AND ENAMEL CONCEALED EROTIC CIGARETTE CASE, stylized owner's monogram below crown to obverse, gilt-washed interior, hidden cover bearing hand-painted polychrome enamel depiction of a nude woman in a well-appointed boudoir, marked with "W" within star maker's mark and "900" fineness designation. Total weight: 5.15 ozt. Late 19th/early 20th century. 3 5/8" H, 3 1/8" W.
Excellent overall condition with very minor wear and discoloration.
Provenance: From the estate collection of William A. Litle, Garden Grove, CA.
Catalogue Note: Born in Washington Co., Pennsylvania, Dr. William Albert Litle (1934-2018) was a graduate of Duke University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). After a brief stint teaching at MIT in the 1960s, Dr. Litle joined the School of Engineering faculty at The University of California, Irvine and later California State University at Fullerton. A talented individual with diverse interests, Dr. Litle was also recognized as a master grader for the Professional Stamp Experts (PSE), where he helped to develop a standardized stamp grading system and later served as president of the organization. A true collector, Dr. Litle's careful and informed attention to detail regarding rarity and condition when considering an acquisition is particularly noteworthy. The array of fine objects from the Litle Collection offered in the present sale attests not only to Dr. Litle's instinctual eye for beauty but also his careful, studied approach when selecting a piece for the collection. We are proud to represent the Litle family in offering some of Dr. Litle's most treasured possessions.

Excellent overall condition with very minor wear and discoloration.