This 19th-century silver box was once carried by a well-to-do lady to escape everyday smells! These tiny boxes would be filled with a little sponge, perfumed with perfume that was known as 'l'eau du rheine' or queenswater. In Dutch, this French term was muddled into the phonetic 'loderein' so they are also known as 'loderein boxes'.
This particular example is shaped like an oval hat box and decorated with a ribbed pattern that is very typical of the 'Empire' fashions of the early 1800s. It has a little handle on top, making it wearable on a chatelaine.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Size: 32 x 35 x 21 mm.
Weight: 17.85 grams
Age: Hallmarked 'H' for 1817.
Material and maker: Acid tested as being silver and hallmarked 'J', indicating it was assayed as a piece of unmarked silver between 1906 and 1953. It carries the maker's mark for Pieter Geyskes, a silversmith who operated in Schoonhoven between 1816 and 1832.
Condition: In good antique condition with signs of wear, including little dents and scuffs, consistent with age. These can be seen in the pictures.
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