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Exquisite Georgian Staffordshire Bilston Enamel Patch Box, Circa 1780
Sold by Julie Cartwright Antiques
sold SA1114548
Sorry, but this item has been sold.
Julie Cartwright Antiques

Julie Cartwright Antiques

Sellingantiques Verified Since Jun 2009
Browse dealers 144 items
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Id #SA1114548
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Exquisite Georgian Staffordshire Bilston Enamel Patch Box, Circa 1780

18th century
Sold 9 February 2025 · Julie Cartwright Antiques
This “Exquisite Georgian Staffordshire Bilston Enamel Patch Box, Circa 1780” found a buyer.

It was listed by Julie Cartwright Antiques. Sold pieces stay on Sellingantiques as a record of what has passed through, and the next one is rarely far away.

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Description

This small and delightful 18th Century Bilston * enamel "friendship token" patch box dates circa 1780. The white pull-off cover charmingly painted with a classical scene and the words "A Present from a Friend". The base a rich dark blue enamel.

Dimensions:

Diameter 2cm / 0.6 inches.

Height: 1.5cm / 0.4 inches.

Condition:

In good condition for this type of object.

Some grazing on the lid, commensurate with age.

No loss of enamel.

Base in very good condition, the bases of these boxes are very often chipped.

* 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.

The 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.

Postage:

PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO ADD POSTAGE AT CHECKOUT.

Postage UK: £8 Special Delivery Next day.

Postage overseas: £18 International Signed For.

You can pay by PayPal, bank transfer, cheque, debit or credit card.

To pay by PAYPAL please add P&P and click on button below.

To pay by credit or debit card over the phone or by cheque, please contact me on 01449 760 585.

Physical Dimensions
Height
1.5cm (0.59")
Width
2cm (0.79")
Depth
2cm (0.79")
Declaration

Julie Cartwright Antiques has dated this Georgian Bilston Enamel Patch Box to the 18th Century.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA1114548
Dealers Internal Reference
DEC75
Description
This small and delightful 18th Century Bilston * enamel "friendship token" patch box dates circa 1780.
“
The white pull-off cover charmingly painted with a classical scene and the words "A Present from a Friend".
Julie Cartwright Antiques

The base a rich dark blue enamel.

fig 1. A small round Georgian Bilston enamel patch box with a blue base and a white lid featuring a black transfer print reading A Present from a Friend.
fig 1. Exquisite Georgian Staffordshire Bilston Enamel Patch Box, Circa 1780

Dimensions:

Diameter 2cm / 0.6 inches.

Height: 1.5cm / 0.4 inches.

Condition:

In good condition for this type of object.

Some grazing on the lid, commensurate with age.

No loss of enamel.

Base in very good condition, the bases of these boxes are very often chipped.

fig 2. A small round Georgian Bilston enamel patch box with a blue base and a white lid featuring a black transfer print reading A Present from a Friend.
fig 2. Exquisite Georgian Staffordshire Bilston Enamel Patch Box, Circa 1780

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.

fig 3. A small round Georgian Bilston enamel patch box with a blue base and a white lid featuring a black transfer print reading A Present from a Friend.
fig 3. Exquisite Georgian Staffordshire Bilston Enamel Patch Box, Circa 1780

The 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.

fig 4. A small round Georgian Bilston enamel patch box with a blue base and a white lid featuring a black transfer print reading A Present from a Friend.
fig 4. Exquisite Georgian Staffordshire Bilston Enamel Patch Box, Circa 1780

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.

fig 5. A small round Georgian Bilston enamel patch box with a blue base and a white lid featuring a black transfer print reading A Present from a Friend.
fig 5. Exquisite Georgian Staffordshire Bilston Enamel Patch Box, Circa 1780

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.

Postage:

PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO ADD POSTAGE AT CHECKOUT.

Postage UK: £8 Special Delivery Next day.

Postage overseas: £18 International Signed For.

You can pay by PayPal, bank transfer, cheque, debit or credit card.

To pay by PAYPAL please add P&P and click on button below.

To pay by credit or debit card over the phone or by cheque, please contact me on 01449 760 585.

Height
1.5cm (0.59")
Width
2cm (0.79")
Depth
2cm (0.79")
Date of Manufacture

Julie Cartwright Antiques has dated this Georgian Bilston Enamel Patch Box to the 18th Century.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA1114548
Dealers Internal Ref
DEC75
Julie Cartwright Antiques
Julie Cartwright Antiques
Sellingantiques verified Since Jun 2009
Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Julie Cartwright Antiques Profile Page

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A small round Georgian Bilston enamel patch box with a blue base and a white lid featuring a black transfer print reading A Present from a Friend. SOLD6+ MONTHS AGO
1 / 6
Archive I A small round Georgian Bilston enamel patch box with a blue base and a white lid featuring a black transfer print reading A Present from a Friend. SOLD6+ MONTHS AGO

Exquisite Georgian Staffordshire Bilston Enamel Patch Box, Circa 1780

Archive II A small round Georgian Bilston enamel patch box with a blue base and a white lid featuring a black transfer print reading A Present from a Friend. View II
Archive III A small round Georgian Bilston enamel patch box with a blue base and a white lid featuring a black transfer print reading A Present from a Friend. View III
Archive IV A small round Georgian Bilston enamel patch box with a blue base and a white lid featuring a black transfer print reading A Present from a Friend. View IV
Archive V A small round Georgian Bilston enamel patch box with a blue base and a white lid featuring a black transfer print reading A Present from a Friend. View V
Archive VI A small round Georgian Bilston enamel patch box with a blue base and a white lid featuring a black transfer print reading A Present from a Friend. View VI
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Julie Cartwright Antiques

Julie Cartwright Antiques
Telephone 07947 998435
Location
Suffolk
United Kingdom
Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/jc
Verified Since Jun 2009
Items For Sale 144
Items Sold 2,226
Julie Cartwright Antiques
Julie Cartwright Antiques
Verified Since Jun 2009
View Dealer Info
Location: Suffolk, United Kingdom
Profile: sellingantiques.co.uk/jc
Verified
Jun 2009
For Sale
144
Sold
2,226
A small round Georgian Bilston enamel patch box with a blue base and a white lid featuring a black transfer print reading A Present from a Friend.
EXQUISITE GEORGIAN STAFFORDSHIRE BILSTON ENAMEL PATCH BOX, CIRCA 1780
Ref: SA1114548
A small round Georgian Bilston enamel patch box with a blue base and a white lid featuring a black transfer print reading A Present from a Friend.
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Cataloguer’s note

Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing
  • ObjectTrinket Boxes
  • Period18th century
  • StyleGeorgian
  • MaterialEnamel, Copper
  • ColourBlue
  • MotifsTransfer-printed lid, Hinged metal mount, Hand-coloured enamel
  • SizeH 1.5 cm (1 in) x W 2 cm (1 in) x D 2 cm (1 in)

FAQs

Bilston enamel patch boxes are small, decorative containers produced in the Staffordshire town of Bilston during the 18th century, originally designed to hold silk face patches used by the Georgian elite to cover blemishes.

These items are crafted from copper fused with opaque white or coloured enamel coatings, often featuring hand-painted or transfer-printed top designs and mounted in copper or pinchbeck metal rims.

Authentic pieces typically exhibit fine copper crazing under magnification, hand-painted details, historical inscriptions, and traditional hinged mounts characteristic of 18th-century English manufacturing techniques.

These miniature items are well-suited for display on a mantelpiece, inside a glass-fronted cabinet, or atop a stack of books on a side table to add a touch of historical detail.

Enamel is fragile and prone to cracking or chipping; items should be kept away from direct sunlight, extreme temperature fluctuations, and moisture, and cleaned only with a dry, soft microfibre cloth.
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