Antique American "Pairpoint" Silver-Plate Cigar Humidor Champagne Bottle Ca 1900

Antique English Sheffield silver-plate and crystal 6-bottle cruet set, circa 1880-1890.

Antique American Gold Bronze Humidor, Circa 1930s.

Antique English Silver-Plated Siphon Coffee Maker, Circa 1870.

Antique English Edwardian “Rutherford Hawick” Hallmarked 3-Tier Pierced Silver-Plated Stand, Circa 1910's.

Offered is a stunning Sheffield silver keepsake box dating to 1900, with associated hallmark. This small box includes a clean interior and rounded corners. The box is free of names or initials, but would have been used to house keepsakes such as jewelry or cufflinks. A well maintained, elegant piece, this antique silver box is an excellent addition to any silver collection. Trinket or keepsake boxes have taken on many forms since their first conception in ancient times. However their purpose remains the same; to store jewelry and other items precious to the owner. Originally, these boxes were used specifically for jewelry. These were in common use as early as 5000 BC in Ancient Egypt, when the majority of Egyptians, both male and female, wore jewelry. Boxes were used to keep these gemstone encrusted items safe. In Ancient Rome, jewelry was a status symbol. Rings and brooches were utilized to represent ones status in society. Again, boxes were needed for security and storage purposes. Finding early examples of these are quite rare. Victorian and Edwardian examples of trinket boxes are far more common. This is because owning jewellery was a luxury until the Victorian era- let alone possessing so much a box was needed to store it all. Fine jewelry and other items became available to the masses after the industrial revolution due to the reduction in production costs. This led to a demand for trinket boxes, which were much smaller than jewelry boxes and therefore better suited to the needs of the middle class who did not yet possess an abundance of jewelry. In Victorian households, collectables and other items of interested were also stashed inside these boxes. This is why they are known as trinket or keepsake boxes, rather than just jewelry boxes, although of course jewelry was also stored in them. Trinket boxes were produced in large numbers around this time. Many were lined with colored plush or velvet or rich wood. More elaborate designs had interior divisions and trays for rings and other pieces of jewellery. It was also common to see trinket boxes so small that they could only contain one item, such as a single ring. Ornate exteriors were created to reflect the value of the trinket boxes contents. The Edwardian era saw the introduction of new styles of trinket box. These included small circular or oblong boxes...

Extraordinary antique English Sheffield silver plate exceptionally hand chased and engraved Double Folding Biscuit Box with fern motif chasing and engraving and handsome pierced and ...

A deco style silver plate box. Interested riveted and heavy construction with concave base interior. Marked "Compesi".

A handsome and very stylish biscuit box dating to circa 1890 by the top notch silversmith, John Grinsell & Sons of Sheffield. Made from solid English oak, the box is fitted with e...