Small Toothpick Pot, Silver And Enamel, Vienna, Second Half Of The 19th Century, Circa 1870

Small cylindrical container for toothpicks, elaborately decorated. It stands on four shell-shaped feet surmounted by a putto head. From the base emerge figures in the round: the goddess Aphrodite and a male deity.
The simple body of the vessel is covered with painted enamel. The decoration features a plant motif in the form of a stylized tendril, accompanied by flowers, birds and human faces.
The set is closed by a lid decorated with idyllic scenes. The top of the vessel is crowned by an imposing figure representing a standing ostrich.
Austrian hallmark for silver.
Vienna, circa 1870.
Gilt silver, painted with enamel.
Dimensions: 12.5 cm x 4.5 cm
Condition: good, traces of wear on the gilding.

This small box is characteristic of the Austrian style of the second half of the 19th century, a period marked by a revival of interest in Renaissance objects. The year 1870 was a period of artistic boom in Vienna, which saw the birth of many works inspired by the past. These were enamelled objects set with lapis lazuli, rock crystal or silver.