Powder box; Italy. End of the 19th century, beginning of the 20th century.

Polvera; Italy. Late 19th century, early 20th century. Silver 800 gilt and enamel. With engraved initials on the back. Contrasts on the inside. Measurements: 0,6 x 7,5 cm. Italian circular-shaped compact made of gilded silver. The lower area is defined by the use of a chiselled ornamentation based on a design of plant motifs arranged around a central medallion framing some initials. The lid area is also richly ornamented, but more expressive. The outer perimeter has been worked with bluish enamel, while in the centre there is a carved scene depicting a pair of lovebirds. The popularity of powder boxes dates from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a time when make-up was not yet socially accepted and when the first powder boxes were often concealed in accessories such as walking sticks, jewellery or hatpins.