Description

Exquisite high quality Burr Walnut Silver Vanity Box with fine double strung brass and ebony, engraved brass edging, standing on an ebony plinth base bound again with engraved brass.

Opening this fabulous burr walnut vanity box reveals spectacular craftsmanship through out, the hinges, locks are gilded chased and engraved to the highest quality this work continues on and features thirteen lead crystal diamond cut glass bottles & jars with engine-turned decoration and chased foliate scroll borders with monogram F.E.E., hallmarked “Thomas Johnson, London 1865,”. Behind the doors to the front are three drawers, two of which are hidden and opened with two separate push brass buttons which are at inside the top at back of the box. The bottom features a leather and gold tooled lid with silk lined compartments for jewellery. The middle drawer is a large leather lined storage compartment for clothes & hair brushes. The top drawer features a velvet lined tool pad fully fitted with a manicure set with mother of pearl handles and a superb quality Vinaigrette by E. Smith of Birmingham 1861.

The mirror housed in the underside of the boxes lid can be removed and is reversible revealing a ruched velvet and a secret leather stationery compartment, this also bears the makers details “H.Tooke, Liverpool”.

This Silver Vanity box comes with a fully working lock & tasselled key.

All our items come with authentication certificate with image, care instructions and separate invoice for insurance purposes. On top of this our items come with 14 day no quibble money back guarantee and are all fully insured for when shipping.

More details about Vanity Boxes & Dressing cases.

Dressing Cases and Vanity Boxes were made to carry personal and toiletry items during travel for genteel ladies and gentlemen and were popular from the end of 18th Century to the last quarter of the 19th Century. During the first part of this period most Dressing Cases were made for men. These were used for going to war, education or when socialising. From the beginning of the 19th Century cases for ladies became more common as did their capacity to travel, for long visits to relatives or friends.

The boxes would contain perfume bottles, mirrors, brushes, combs, manicure sets and sometimes items for writing and concealed jewellery trays. The popularity declined for men during the Victorian era because men were expected to be more masculine, and ladies to be soft and pretty! Towards the end of the 19th Century Dressing Boxes became popular with all ladies, not just the more affluent.

Created By:
THOMAS JOHNSON (worked from 1869)
W H TOOKE OF LIVERPOOL (worked c.1845-1890)