A fine ivory and rose gold toothpick, of the type owned by Charles Dickens.

The handle of the toothpick is a hollow pillar of ivory. The gold toothpick is held within this and extends and retracts by sliding a gold button on the side. This is exactly the same style of toothpick as used by Charles Darwin and the last picture shows the one used by him which was sold at auction in New York in Dec 2009. It dates to circa 1850.

• From the Phisick collection