Antique mz austria hair receiver powder trinket box hand painted 1913 pink roses signed e ten eyck victorian vintage vanity shabby cottage. Here is a lovely item that can be repurposed to hold a variety of things. This antique porcelain box was originally a utilitarian item meant to hold loose strands of hair and was a feminine accent of the dressing table. A hair receiver is a small pot, with a hole in the lid, kept on the dressing table in the victorian era to store hair removed from brushes and combs. The hair was recycled in a number of waysnotably for stuffing small bags, about (3-4) across, called ratts, used to bulk out women's hairstyles.
Lift the lid and keep your loose change, jewelry or stash inside, turn the rounded base over and you will find that it has been molded with three feet so that it sits raised up. This lovely little box is a round shape and the lid is a nice concaved dome. Both the base and lid are beautifully hand painted with pink roses and lush foliage against a white background shaded in pastel tones of yellow and blue. The edges are lavishly gilded for an elegant touch. Dating to the late 1890s victorian era to the early 1900s edwardian period, it is just one part of a three piece matching dresser set that i have enjoyed for many years, all pieces painted by the talented artist, e. Ten eyck and dated 1913. Elegantly displayed in my antique french vitrine cabinet, it always managed to get compliments from anyone who peered through the wavy glass. It is in very good condition for something over 100 years old. No chips or cracks, but there is wear to the gold banding around the edges. The base is marked "mz austria" the box has a 4.5" diameter and stands 3" tall. I love hair receivers because they make great receptacles to hold antique swansdown powder puffs, especially those with tall, rigid celluloid, silver or bone handles. Unlike using a regular powder box to store a puff, whose lid could press down against the handle and ruin your puff, the powder puff's handle can go right through the hole in the lid of the hair receiver and not be damaged. Hair receivers also make great little stash boxes for your cotton balls, jewelry, cotton swabs, bobby pins, buttons and other small goodies. I even know of a friend who stores her packets of sugar substitutes in a hair receiver, i thought that was a neat idea. Overall, a pretty antique porcelain trinket or vanity box for your dressing table. Please see my other listings for the matching pieces for sale.Let my past treasures be your new ones to cherish for years to come. This item is made of porcelain.