A VICTORIAN-era 'lady's companion' made of carved ivory was bought at an Irish auction by a private collector in the US.
The item, which is from 1856, was commissioned for the young wife of an Irishman who served in the military in India and China for a number of years.
The young married man had the 'work of art' made after he shot an elephant in India and had the elephant's tusk hand carved in China.
The period piece is presented in an Irish leather bound box and was valued at between €500 to €800.
"In those days, when you went to war you weren't coming back," Damien Matthews told The Irish Post. "He used it as a forget-me-not.
"The base of it has a heart carved into it and it has a cork receptacle for a lock of his hair. You can try and make it smutty, but it's not, it's a beautiful work of love.
"It is a work of art, and a work of love," Mr Matthews added.
Speaking after the antique sold for €3,200 to a buyer in California, Mr Matthews said there had been huge interest in the item.
"We had 178 bidders online, and 12 booked here for it, and 60 absentee bidders.
"It came down to two bidders, a museum of erotica in Las Vegas and a private collector in California and the private collector bought it.
A descendent of the Co. Meath-based Victorian couple who owned the antique found the item in 'the back of a drawer' and decided to have it auctioned.
