Tortoise shell glove box

Box

Box; Tortoise shell glove box; from the collection of Captain Richard C. Mears (1829-1899); rectangular tortoise shell glove box, with removable lid; stylized asian images in gold on the lid, depicting a bird, a house, a tree, a waterfall, and flowers; interior of box has similar gold image of a plant; sides of box decorated in same gold color; inside the box was a letter, handwritten in letter "Bark Lepanto Mar 27th 1879/ Lat 41°11' S Long 154°40' E/ to My Dear Daughter/ Nellie. G. Mears this is/ your 13th Birth day +/ May you have Many/ happy ones. I hope that/ you are well + enjoying/ your self. accept this/ Little Glove Box in Memory/ of your father as a Birth/ Day Present. much Love/ From your aft Father/ R.C. Mears"; handwritten at bottom of letter in pencil (more recent) "[East of Tasmania]".