This is a delightful 18th. Century Bilston * enamel ''love token'' patch box. The cream base and hinged cover with faux marble decorations surrounding a white roundel inscribed the words ''Love constitutes the value''. The hinged lid opening to reveal the original mirror, sadly broken but firmly in place and a white interior.
Dimensions:
Length: 5cm / 2 inches.
Width: 3.5cm / 1.2 inches.
Height: 2.5cm / 1 inch.
Condition:
In reasonable condition for this type of object.
The exterior in good condition. Minor grazing, commensurate with age.
Original lead mirror cracked.
The interior base with discolouration.
Good strong hinge.
Lid snaps shut firmly.
* By the early 18th Century the town of Bilston, on the southern edge of Wolverhampton, was already established as a metal-working centre. The next step for these manufacturers of artefacts such as buckles, boxes and toy was get ahead of their competitors by decorating them. So they turned to enamels.
Th
...e technique of enamelling is applying heat to a mixture of silica, soda, potassium silicates and lead oxide, the enameller produced a paste which could be painted on to metal surfaces. Different colours could be created by introducing various metallic oxides into the mixes.
Enamellers often collected broken glasses from pubs and inns to grind them into the paste, but there were already, by the mid-1750s, suppliers selling coloured enamel powders already mixed. Bilston enamellers were particularly partial to rose pink.
There were patch and snuff boxes, boxes for trinkets and jewellery, bonbonnieres. These boxes became, with the advent of transfer printing, little gift boxes given as token of love and friendship or souvenirs from various towns.
Delivery:
PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO ADD POSTAGE AT CHECKOUT.
Postage UK: £5 Royal Mail Tracked 24.
Postage overseas: £20 International Signed For.
Postage USA (including US import duties): £45.00
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Internal Reference: NOVE61
Antique ID Number (AIDN): SA1182088
Dateline of this antique is 18th Century
Height is 2.5cm (1.0inches)Width is 5.5cm (2.2inches)Depth is 3.5cm (1.4inches)
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