20th century sterling silver handbag-shaped box

Art Noveade 800 German Silver Jewelry Box A Box with an intricate pattern engraved on its surface. The pattern consists of swirls and floral ...

Art Nouveau Sterling Silver Decorative Box This sterling silver decorative box features an oval shape with elaborate edges. The lid is decorated with an intricate enamel floral desig...

A beautiful French sterling silver vanity case, with a charming Neoclassic Patterm on the lids. Hinged and with dual hinged interior and mirror, (mirror will be instaled) with wrist ...

Cartier Silver-Plated Art Deco Purse An elegant Cartier purse with a refined, sculptural handle formed by two stylized hands holding a cabochon-style green stone. The piece combines ...

A fine antique Edwardian purse or evening bag. In sterling silver. By William B. Kerr & Co. The purse has a small chain and opens with a button. The interior has two pockets on ei...

Description: Silver snuffbox with floral reliefs in the Art Nouveau style, with a paper holder and a hinged lid. Metal: Silver. Origin: Portuguese. Brand: Javali II. Title: Weight: 9...

This French rectangular silver box is heavily decorated in the typical styles of this Art Nouveau period. The box has vintage red velvet interior and the original hardware with a wor...

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...