Antique Victorian Silver Vinaigrette Edward Smith 1864
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This is an exquisite antique Victorian sterling silver vinaigrette with hallmarks for Birmingham 1864 and the makers mark of the silversmith Edward Smith.
Condition:
In excellent condition, please see photos for confirmation.
Dimensions in cm:
Height 3 x Width 2.5 x Depth 2 & Weight 0.4 troy oz
Dimensions in inches:
Height 1 inch x Width 1 inch x Depth 1 inch & Weight 0.01 kg
Vinaigrettes, popular from the late 18th Century and through the mid 19th Century, were small silver containers with a hinged lid, which opens to reveal a pierced grill, also hinged, and underneath the grill would be a tiny sponge holding various aromatic substances, usually dissolved in vinegar.
Used both by men and women they were generally carried whilst travelling, to give a pleasant aroma as the streets or travelling companions could often smell.
The inside of the silver boxes was gilded to prevent corrosion by the vinegar.
Angelica Kauffman, RA (1741 - 1807)
was a Swiss-born Austrian Neoclassical painter who had a successful career in London and Rome. Though born as "Kauffmann", Kauffman is the preferred spelling of her name in English; it is the form she herself used most in signing her correspondence, documents and paintings.
While Kauffman produced many types of art, she identified herself primarily as a history painter, an unusual designation for a woman artist in the 18th century. History painting, was considered the most elite and lucrative category in academic painting during this time period. Under the direction of Sir Joshua Reynolds, the Royal Academy made a strong effort to promote history painting to a native audience who were more interested in commissioning and buying portraits and landscapes.
Despite the popularity that Kauffman enjoyed in British society and her success as an artist, she was disappointed by the relative apathy that the British had towards history painting. Ultimately she left Britain for the continent, where history painting was better established, held in higher esteem and patronized.
The works of Angelica Kauffman have retained their reputation. By 1911, rooms decorated with her work were still to be seen in various quarters. At Hampton Court was a portrait of the duchess of Brunswick; in the National Portrait Gallery, a self-portrait. There were other pictures by her at Paris, at Dresden, in the Hermitage at St Petersburg, in the Alte Pinakothek atMunich, in Kadriorg Palace, Tallinn (Estonia).
Satinwood
is a hard and durable wood with a satinlike sheen, much used in cabinetmaking, especially in marquetry. It comes from two tropical trees of the family Rutaceae (rue family). East Indian or Ceylon satinwood is the yellowish or dark-brown heartwood of Chloroxylon swietenia.
The lustrous, fine-grained, usually figured wood is used for furniture, cabinetwork, veneers, and backs of brushes. West Indian satinwood, sometimes called yellow wood, is considered superior. It is the golden yellow, lustrous, even-grained wood found in the Florida Keys and the West Indies.
It has long been valued for furniture. It is also used for musical instruments, veneers, and other purposes. Satinwood is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Sapindales, family Rutaceae.
Our reference: 07490b
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