Antique French Mother of Pearl and Brass Spy Glass

The ability to see objects in the distance in greater detail was at the top of scientists' to-do lists for centuries. Influenced by Dutch spectacle makers who patented a device in 1608, Galileo adapted the concept into a telescoping spyglass the following year, making it possible at long last to gaze up into the heavens. Beyond the awe-inspiring visions, scholars of the time began to map the glittering celestial spheres floating in the sky. 

In the following century French optician and engineer Pierre Lemiere introduced a handheld monocular featuring a single convex lens. The invention enabled users to magnify far-off objects with exceptional clarity. Though rudimentary by today's standards, this early invention marked the beginning of a new era of optical exploration. As both technology and glass-making developed, the telescope was adapted for use by everyone from military generals, hunters in the forests and fields and explorers sailing upon the seas to nature-lovers and opera enthusiasts alike.

Acting as a compact, single-tube telescope, a monocular employs a lens or prism system to gather light, allowing users to magnify distant objects using just one eye. Recently discovered at market in Paris, we are thrilled to present this handsome Antique French Mother of Pearl and Brass Spy Glass. At once functional and beautifully clad in its mother-of-pearl casing, this dramatic monocular manually extends to adjust for viewing at a variety of distances. With a bold brass base and eyepiece, this magnificent spyglass is sure to have brought countless objects and special events into sharp focus over the past century. A lasting heirloom treasure, it promises to illuminate your life with elegance for decades to come.

Strictly one of a kind and subject to prior sale. In very good antique condition. Measures approximately 3"L.