Case or bottle
Germany or France
1875-1900
Measurements
5-1/8 in x 1 in x 3/4 in
Materials
Glazed and gilded porcelain, unidentified metal alloy
Credit Line
Historic Odessa Foundation, The David Wilson Mansion, Inc.
Accession Number
1971.1480
Condition Notes
The base of the hinge for the cap has detached from the top of the bottle.
Provenance
Ex coll. Mrs. E. Tatnall (Mary Corbit) Warner
Comments
This small, tapered porcelain case with a hinged porcelain cap is ornately decorated in yellow, orange, green, purple, and blue enamels; gilding ornaments the chamfered corners. It was likely a needle case, although needles inside might get caught on the shoulder surrounding the round opening when the user tried to retrieve one or more. If it were a scent bottle, it likely would have had a base to stand on or a means of attaching a cord of some kind to allow it to be worn. Regardless, it belongs to a long European tradition of small, elegantly made boxes for holding small objects. Such luxury items were also called nécessaires or étuis. For another example, see a case of similar origin and provenance, accession no. 1971.1481. Both of these items were likely acquired by Mary Warner for her personal use.
