Original wooden box covered with its polychrome lithographed labels, entitled "La Perle des Blanchisseuses" (The Laundresses' Pearl), produced by the L. Robelin company in Dijon. The central decoration depicts a scene of laundry at the washhouse, surrounded by a rich ornamental border and medals awarded at international exhibitions in London, Paris, and Sydney. This specialty of "Ultramarine Blue" was intended for bluing linen, in the form of solid balls, a set of which is still preserved inside. A remarkable testament to the French domestic and chemical industry of the late 19th century, at once utilitarian, decorative, and emblematic.
✦ Origin: France, Dijon ✦ Estimated period: Circa 1900 ✦ Dimensions: 19 x 9 x 7 cm ✦ Material: Wood and printed paper ✦ Contents: Approximately 15 antique balls of ultramarine blue ✦ Condition: Signs of wear consistent with age, missing and rubbed labels, marked corners, sound structure
An iconic object of laundry practices and advertising aesthetics of the Belle Époque, ideal for a cabinet of curiosities, an old drugstore display case or workshop decoration.
