Assorted Vintage Compacts, Boxes, and Items Collection - 1930s
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An assorted group of compacts, boxes and other items, comprising a c1930s circular powder compact in silver tone metal, the hinged lid with blue butterfly wings ground overlaid with a nocturnal lakeside landscape, stamped 'Gwenda, England' to, the inner hinge, an enamelled brass rectangular box, the hinged blue guilloche lid with spandrels centering a bow trophy in shaped reserve, stamped 'Lenk made in Austria' underside, an unmarked Iraqi niello silver letter opener in, the form of a scimitar , a small enamelled circular brass compact with yellow guilloche enamel to, the lid, a brass pill box and two small pewter egg-form box and cornucopia. Diameter: 7.5 cm, (compact) length 14 cm, (letter opener)
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- Niello - A compound made up of lead silver copper and sulphur that is black in colour, and applied to the engraved areas of silver items, thus highlighting the engraving by making the black niello detail stand out from the silver background. It was used on edged weapons from the Renaisance onwards, and also by Russian crafstmen of the19th century.
- Guilloche - A form of classical decoration consisting of a repeating ornament of interlacing curved bands, sometimes forming circles, and further decorated with rosettes or other flower forms.
The name is derived from the inventor, French engineer Guillot, who invented a mechanical method of inscribing fine repeating patterns on to metallic surfaces.
On enamelled items with guilloche decoration, the surface is firstly engraved with the repeating pattern, and then covered with several layers of enamel, each of which is fired.
Where the item has not been enamelled the form of decoration is usually called "engine turned". - Cornucopia - The cornucopia, literally the horn of plenty, is a symbol of abundance and wealth. It is traditionally is represented by a curved goat horn overflowing with grain and fruit.
Modern cornucopias are often depicted as horn-shaped baskets filled with food, and this symbol is often associated with the harvest. This decorative device has a long and ancient history, with roots in Greek mythology.
In one version, when Zeus was playing with the goat Amalthea he accidentally broke off one of her horns. To atone for this, Zeus promised Amalthea that the horn would always be full of whatever fruits she desired. This became the cornucopia of the Roman goddess Copia, the personification of plenty. Other goddesses, including Fortuna and Pax, also held the cornucopia.
In furniture and decorative arts, cornucopia as a decorative element have been popular since the 16th century and can be found on items as diverse as light fittings and candelabra to clocks, sculpture and statuary and furniture.
In ceramics, cornucopia shaped vases were popular in the 19th century, in singles and pairs.
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