Tortoise Shell Letter Opener

Tortoise shell forms the handle of this letter opener, topped by a large silver loop that sets a single bold metal gesture against the warm, mottled surface of the shell. The loop is the design's signature, a clean circular form that finishes the handle and gives the hand something to grip.

Spratling's own drawing of a very similar letter opener survives in the William Spratling Folio of Drawings, which grounds the design in his hand and places it among the objects he recorded on paper. Pairing silver with tortoise shell belongs to the materials he combined in his later work, the metal set against the organic surface.

A similar design has been reissued, which makes the period example the collectible one. Letter openers combining a tortoise-shell handle with a silver loop come to market only occasionally.