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I have a client who goes back and forth between here (Kenya) and the UK. He had a guitar given to him 30 years ago by his grandmother. It had been given to her by one of her parents (great-grandmother was French, great-grandfather was British. Its purfling is quite distinctive. The case is thought to be original.
That's about all I know, except for what you can see in the pics that follow. Expert opinions and information welcome!

More pics ...

very cool. those tuner gears look absolutely ancient, the cogs look hand wrought. early 1800s...? thats all i have to say, no expert here

At first I was going to say the back and sides are brazialian rosewood. But looking further down it appears to be laminated wood. It is pretty beat up too. The inlay is fairly extensive, but it seems to consist of scrap shell pieces in an artful arrangement. Might still be worth fixing.

I think it's a very interesting guitar, but I can't speculate about its origins. Looks like it has seen lots of playing action, in addition to some of the other condition issues. Even if it turns out to be of low value, I think it would be a very interesting repair/restoration project. I'd like to see the inside. If you DO set about repairing it, please document the process in this thread or a new one. I'll be following to see what others have to say about it.

Patrick

I'm not the greatest expert, but I'd bet mid 1800s romantic guitar from Europe. I bet the back and sides are Brazilian rosewood veneered over spruce. I've seen really ornate pearl purfling/rosettes like that on guitars from England, Spain, and France. Hopefully someone with more knowledge will chime in.