Vinaigrette box

Thomas Holland

1799 · Silver, silver gilt · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Nearly identical hallmarks were registered by the London goldsmiths Thomas Harper I (smallworker, May 1790), Thomas Hobbs (smallworker, May 1796) and Thomas Holland II (plateworker, August 1798) and it is difficult to tell which of these three makers was responsible for this vinaigrette. Rectangular in form with canted corners, the lid of this elegant vinaigrette is decorated with an engraved rayed and pelleted ground. The central reserve provided for the inscription of initials or a name to personalize the item has been left blank. A vinaigrette was intended to hold a tiny sponge dipped in aromatic vinegar. Its interior is gilded to protect the silver from oxidation caused by the acidity of the vinegar. A hinged and decoratively pierced inner lid or grill kept the sponge in place while its perforations allowed the odor to waft through. A whiff of the vinegar might revive someone from a fainting spell. Such vinaigrettes were worn around the neck, on a chatelaine suspended from the waist, or carried in a pocket.

Artist

Thomas Holland

Date

1799

Medium

Silver, silver gilt

Culture

British, London

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Gift of Herbert K. Reis, in memory of Rose-Frances K. Reis (Mrs. Ralph A. Reis), 1983