ENAMELS
Compacts and Vanity Cases that have vitreous enamelled decorations are among the most sought after by collectors and their values are inflated, accordingly.
The reason enamelled cases are so popular is probably because they are colourful, are often (but not always) made from silver of varying degrees of purity and also because the workmanship evident in such cases is often far superior to that of mass produced cases.
While the techniques used to enamel small, metal, containers had been well established in Europe centuries ago, it was not until the 1930s that enamelling vanity cases was first tried. The reason is simple. It was not until the mid 1920s that vanity cases and compacts became objects that could be flaunted. Before that time these little containers were, with a few exceptions, rather plain and many women preferred to use them discreetly.
Colourful cases would attract unwanted attention but once makeup in public had become de rigeur, the ugly duckling that was the brass vanity box could become the larger, more beautiful and more colourful swan. And among the most eye-catching were those vanity cases decorated with well-known scenes in miniature, using vitreous enamel.
I suspect that the first enamelled vanity case was produced in Austria sometime in the early 1930s with Germany and later, Italy, following suit.
There was never a strong enamelling tradition in America but many of the Attleboro and Providence jewellers made attempts, especially using the guilloche technique.
If anyone claims that enamelled cases are older than about 1930, you should be entitled to be very suspicious, if not entirely dismissive of such fanciful claims. But collectors continue to eat up these cases and to pay high prices for them.
The reason enamelled cases are so popular is probably because they are colourful, are often (but not always) made from silver of varying degrees of purity and also because the workmanship evident in such cases is often far superior to that of mass produced cases.
While the techniques used to enamel small, metal, containers had been well established in Europe centuries ago, it was not until the 1930s that enamelling vanity cases was first tried. The reason is simple. It was not until the mid 1920s that vanity cases and compacts became objects that could be flaunted. Before that time these little containers were, with a few exceptions, rather plain and many women preferred to use them discreetly.
Colourful cases would attract unwanted attention but once makeup in public had become de rigeur, the ugly duckling that was the brass vanity box could become the larger, more beautiful and more colourful swan. And among the most eye-catching were those vanity cases decorated with well-known scenes in miniature, using vitreous enamel.
I suspect that the first enamelled vanity case was produced in Austria sometime in the early 1930s with Germany and later, Italy, following suit.
There was never a strong enamelling tradition in America but many of the Attleboro and Providence jewellers made attempts, especially using the guilloche technique.
If anyone claims that enamelled cases are older than about 1930, you should be entitled to be very suspicious, if not entirely dismissive of such fanciful claims. But collectors continue to eat up these cases and to pay high prices for them.