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 'stacked coins' pattern and four-leaf clovers.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Size: 45 x 43 x 33 mm.
Weight: 25.20 grams
Age: Hallmarked 'P' for 1874.
Material and maker: Hallmarked with a Dutch hallmark for 835/1000 silver. It carries the maker's mark for S. T. Reitsma Jr., a silversmith who operated in Sneek between 1859 and 1892.
Condition: In good antique condition with signs of wear, including little dents and scuffs, consistent with age. These can be seen in the pictures.
This shop is based in the EU. Although antiques are exempt from taxes in most countries, buyers from outside the EU might be subject to import taxes.