Fabulous vintage Italian hallmarked .800 (nearly sterling) silver "minaudiere" or compact, a large heavy box with beveled mirror, faux tortoise comb, mechanical lipstick and covered powder compartment in a guilloche Art Deco style textured finish and wonderful condition! Vintage yes, fabulous for sure. This one was bought by us, actually Susan, in Zurich last time she was there. Italian origins though, the silversmith marks date to mid 1900s and are, we're pretty sure, for Emilio Giovannoni of Firenze (c.1935-late sixties). Thick & heavy silver, the piece has a total weight of 6.9 troy ounces or 216 grams. The inside of the powder compartment also has engraved marks and is dated '51. A wonderful vanity necessaries, perfectly usable and with that undeniable European silver elegance.
Very good condition. Some faint silver tarnish visible on the exterior, sorry...those always show up in the photos even when we miss them with the naked eye. No dents or other damage to the case. There is one small black spot on the mirror's silvering, no chips or cracks. The delicate mesh insert in the powder compartment has a velvet framing that's coming off, not attached for the most part but there. See pictures for all measurements.
