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. The front is decorated with a small unengraved shield, and it has a little handle on top, making it wearable on a chatelaine.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Size: 32 x 37 x 20 mm.
Weight: 18.00 grams
Age: Hallmarked 'A' for 1835.
Material and maker: Hallmarked with a Dutch hallmark for 835/1000 silver. It carries the maker's mark for Pieter Kuijlenburg, a silversmith who operated in Schoonhoven and used this hallmark between 1834 and 1837.
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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