Common amongst the aristocracy of Europe during the 18th century, the practice of leaving calling cards became a requirement within genteel society by the turn of the century. An etiquette around calling cards developed that was essentially dependent upon the bearer being received by a servant - the practice therefore was confined to the affluent social classes.

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With the requirement for calling cards came the need for card cases. With earliest surviving examples dating from the 1830s onwards, card cases were made from a variety of materials from gold, silver and agate to tortoiseshell, mother-of-pearl, ivory, lacquered papier-mache and leather, as well as a diversity of decorative woods. Some were works-of-art in their own right - but also a means of displaying one's affluence.

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