Art Deco Silver Jewellery Chest - A & J Zimmerman

With a weighted base this circular jewellery chest is as substantial as it looks. Inside it is finished in turquoise hand-dyed velvet to both the base and lid. Topping the scales at almost 600g, there is little risk of the ‘crown jewels’ being sent flying by a gentle tap. We have established that the most likely original use for this beautiful box was as a lady’s powder bowl, possibly with a mirrored finish to the lid. Beyond that we have had trouble establishing anything else , surprising for such a standout piece. Manufactured in the middle of the Art Deco period, it is not difficult to imagine this piece on an elegant dressing table in a swanky Park Lane apartment, country pile or one of the new white ‘liner’ properties of the Kent, Sussex and Hampshire coastal towns. Overall, the rim is just short of 80 cm high, which combined with the clean lines of the foot make it so evocative of the Art Deco era.