Enameled sign "Carbonate of Soda" - France, circa 1900

Old enamel plate bearing the inscription "CARBONATE DE SOUDE" (SODA ASH), from a set of enamel plates that equipped the drawers of an old paint merchant's cabinet. Soda ash, or sodium carbonate, was a common drugstore product, used notably for cleaning, degreasing, bleaching, and various artisanal and industrial preparations; it already appeared in 19th-century drugstore catalogs. Paint merchants supplied pigments, paints, and various raw materials to painters, decorators, and artisans; their drawer cabinets allowed these numerous powders and preparations to be stored separately, each compartment identified by a plate like this one.

✦ Estimated period: Circa 1900-1920
✦ Provenance: France, former paint merchant
✦ Dimensions: approx. 13 × 3 cm
✦ Material: Enamel plate
✦ Condition: Very good used condition, with small enamel chips on the edges, slight traces of oxidation, marks and wear consistent with age.

Old "Carbonate de Soude" enamel plate, an authentic testament to an old paint merchant's cabinet and the traditional trade of drugstore products.