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NECESSAIRE

Creator(s): Jos. SauerWein & Company (Retailer)

Currently in storage


About this object

The box is in dark wood that is inlaid in an elaborate pattern of engraved brass, mother-of-pearl, ivory and silver. These decorative motifs cover the top, sides of the box and the frame for the mirror on the inside of the cover. The edges are decorated in engraved brass. The mirror inside the cover lifts up and can be used for applying makeup. Behind the mirror is a red leather letter holder stamped in gold and fitted with a letter opener, a rule and a memo pad with the days of the week in French. Inside the box, lined in red velvet, are nine compartments, four of them with red velvet covers embroidered in silver gilt threads with floral motifs. There are many fittings in the box all in place except a thimble and the inkwell. In the compartment at the back are a hairbrush and a clothes brush with boule decoration on the backs. Also a folding metric measure in ivory or bone. In each of the four corners is a glass jar for pomades each with a silver cover. In the compartment at the left are three glass bottles with silver caps and one silver oval shaped box. A velvet envelope in this compartment is fitted with English court plasters. The compartment at the right has one large and three small sections, the former having a boule cover, is empty. The three small compartments were for the sandbox with a boule cover, a silver seal with bone handle cut with initials and a coronet. The compartment at the front has three sections, the central one with a red velvet pin cushion embroidered in silver Felicie and below a secret section. At the left is a silver candlestick and at the right a silver bell. The central compartment has a cover with twelve fittings all in silver except for one. These are a toothbrush engraved with souvenir, a paring knife, a pen knife, a spool of thread, two holders for thread, scissors,a pick, an etui for needles and a pen. The cover for this compartment can be locked in place.

Object name:
NECESSAIRE
Made from:
Wood -- silver -- textile -- brass -- mother of pearl
Made in:
Austria
Date made:
1845
Size:
12.7 × 39.4 × 29.2 cm (5 × 15 1/2 × 11 1/2 in.)

Detailed information for this item

Catalog number:
34.21.1
Class:
WOOD
Signature marks:
Type:MARKS 4 1 A 8 5 in a circle in a sheild for Vienna; JP in script for Jos. Sauerwein LABEL Label in the bottom reads: Zu finden bei Jos. SauerWien & Comp. zur Stadt Wien Am eck der Bogner-gasse im Wien
Credit line:
Bequest of Marjorie Merriweather Post, 1973