An antique cut-crystal vanity jar with its original repoussé sterling silver lid. The richly faceted glass catches daylight like a small prism; once lit, it turns the candlelight warm and glittering. Closing the ornate lid to extinguish the flame becomes part of the ritual.
The lid is likely American, made around 1895–1905 in the flowing Art Nouveau style. Its repoussé decoration depicts a cherubic face emerging from asymmetric scrollwork and waves. The shield-shaped S hallmark is attributed to Simons Bros. Co. of Philadelphia, while the stamped number 2332 appears to be the maker’s pattern or catalogue number.
Unlike many silver vanity pieces of the period, the lid is sterling silver rather than silver plate, lending the piece a particularly beautiful weight, quality, and patina with age. A hand-engraved period monogram at its center quietly preserves a trace of its first owner.
Details
Simons Bros. Co., Philadelphia
American sterling silver and cut crystal
Pattern No. 2332
Circa 1895–1905
Found at The Santa Barbara Antique Show
Dimensions: 5 inches high × 4 inches wide
Wax: 100% soy wax
Wick: Cotton wick
Burn time: To come
Fragrance: Basic French
Refillable
One of One
Volume I • No. 014
An antique cut-crystal vanity jar with its original repoussé sterling silver lid. The richly faceted glass catches daylight like a small prism; once lit, it turns the candlelight warm and glittering. Closing the ornate lid to extinguish the flame becomes part of the ritual.
The lid is likely American, made around 1895–1905 in the flowing Art Nouveau style. Its repoussé decoration depicts a cherubic face emerging from asymmetric scrollwork and waves. The shield-shaped S hallmark is attributed to Simons Bros. Co. of Philadelphia, while the stamped number 2332 appears to be the maker’s pattern or catalogue number.
Unlike many silver vanity pieces of the period, the lid is sterling silver rather than silver plate, lending the piece a particularly beautiful weight, quality, and patina with age. A hand-engraved period monogram at its center quietly preserves a trace of its first owner.
Details
Simons Bros. Co., Philadelphia
American sterling silver and cut crystal
Pattern No. 2332
Circa 1895–1905
Found at The Santa Barbara Antique Show
Dimensions: 5 inches high × 4 inches wide
Wax: 100% soy wax
Wick: Cotton wick
Burn time: To come
Fragrance: Basic French
Refillable
One of One
Volume I • No. 014
