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 has a rectangular shape with rounded corners and is decorated with a pattern of flowers in a kite-shaped lattice, with a shield on its front.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Size: 38 x 36 x 28 mm.
Weight: 20.50 grams
Age: Hallmarked 'G' for 1841.
Material and maker: Hallmarked with a Dutch hallmark for 835/1000 silver. It carries the maker's mark for Jacob Kooiman, a silversmith who operated in Schoonhoven between 1837 and 1853.
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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