We are delighted to offer this enchanting 18thc. solid silver gilt heart-shaped box made likely of German origin. An almost (if not) identical piece is in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London and the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, Munich: https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O113781/scent-case-unknown/Such boxes were usually used as a type of scent case/vinaigrette which traditionally would be attached to a chatelaine and would contain a soaked sponge that soaked up a vinegar-based scent which could be inhaled to ward off unpleasant smells. Furthermore, it would also serve a practical/medical purpose; fainting was quite common with ladies who wore tight-laced corsets and whenever one felt faint it could be used to ''revive'' someone in an equivalent manner to modern-day smelling salts. Evident by its heart-shaped design, the box not only serves a practical purpose but is also symbolic of romance. It may have been a gift by a man to his fiancee/lover as an engagement or wedding g...