Vegetable Ivory/Tagua Nut English Needle Case 1880s

From the internet:
Vegetable ivory is the term used to describe items carved out of the nut of the Tagua palm tree (South America). Their use for sewing notions, buttons, and other items was quite widespread during the Victorian times. The fruit was imported from South America to Europe, as well as to Asia where vegetable ivory was used to make netsuke miniature sculptures.