Beautiful antique pince-nez eyeglasses along with their original leather storage case. Popular from the late 19th century through the early 20th century, pince-nez (French for "pinch nose") grip the bridge of the nose directly instead of utilizing typical earpieces.
This specific pair is a folding variety of pince-nez. It features a flexible, curved metal spring bridge connecting the two oval lenses and a small loop extension on one side meant for attaching a lanyard, ribbon, or chain.
The stamped leather case serves as a historical marker, identifying the manufacturer as L. Albini & C., a prominent firm of ottici (opticians) based in Via St. Margherita in Milano, Italy. When it comes to items like these, a significant portion of this set's value comes from the well-preserved leather case stamped with the "L. Albini & C. Milano" jeweler/optician branding. Cases with distinct regional markings are highly desired by European and optical history collectors.
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