A small rectangular lithographed tin box, its lid adorned with an Art Nouveau scene depicting a partially draped nude young woman surrounded by aquatic flowers, reeds, and insects, in a composition very typical of late 19th and early 20th-century iconography. The sides are decorated with a floral frieze enlivened by birds and red flowers, in a soft palette enhanced with greens and reds. This type of box was intended to hold lozenges, candies, or small confectionery or perfume items, and testifies to the graphic refinement of Belle Époque packaging.
✦ Origin: France ✦ Estimated period: around 1900 ✦ Dimensions: approximately 8 x 5 x 3 cm ✦ Material: lithographed sheet metal ✦ Condition: Significant oxidation and pitting throughout, wear to the lithography, decoration still legible despite the deterioration, hinge functional
Advertising box with strong decorative power, sought after for an Art Nouveau collection, of antique packaging or for staging a cabinet of curiosities or an old-fashioned grocery store.
