Box (Cosmetic box)

Description

This luxurious gilded silver cosmetic box containing original scented pink powder is a time capsule for the practice of women’s complexion enhancements. It counters American nineteenth-century advice literature that advocated ladies wear only a healthy glow rather than succumb to the controversial, yet irresistible French-influenced manufacturers offering of rouges, perfumes, and toiletry items. The colorful spray of 67 blue and pink sapphires and green emerald gemstones on the lid may reflect the practice of acronym (regard) jewelry which used stone names and colors to communicate meaning. A family tradition for this inherited box is that a young woman from Baltimore, Anna Stockton Buzby, bought it in 1883 while visiting northern Europe and Paris with her mother. They took gold coins with them to purchase trousseau linens and special wedding items. The container’s almost unused rouge powder and puff suggest that it became a treasured item.