Art Deco 1913 Egyptian Revival Pharaoh Retractable Pencil .800 Silver Enamel

Egyptian revival Pharaoh sarcophagus pencil designed by Hans Aigner. Fantastic miniature pendant-pencil, created at the silversmith atelier of Hans Aigner in Vienna Austria during the art deco period, back in the 1913-1920. This beautiful propelling mechanical pencil is a great example of the period, crafted with Egyptians patterns in the likeness of the famous pharaoh sarcophagus in solid .800/.999 silver and 18kt gold vermeil. It is decorated with white, blue and green champlevé enamel and is fitted on top with a movable ring to wear in a chain or a charm's bracelet. With the excavations searching for the King Tutankhamun's tomb, Egyptian Revival souvenirs like this became incredibly popular in the Western world. Weight: 8.45 Grams, (5.42 Dwt). Measurements: Fully extended is 81.3 mm by 12 mm (3.20 x 0.47 Inches). Hallmarks: Stamped with Austrian marks, the maker's mark HA associated to Hans Aigner, the mark for the assay of the silver and signed, "H.A. .800". History Between the 1860 and 1890, ancient cities were discovered, such as Troy, Pompeii and Alexandria. Archaeological excavations in Egypt, Greece and Rome, discovered artistic pieces of these ancient cultures. These fabulous discoveries, stimulated cultural trips to these countries, popularly called "grand tour". Being the case that the enthusiast visitors bring back small objects, like souvenirs to be assembled into jewelry. The starting point of these trips were in the cities of Rome and Venice