Object Description
Boucheron silver and vermeil minaudière
French, c. 1960
Minaudière: Height 2.5cm, width 13cm, depth 8.5cm
Case: Height 4cm, width 18cm, depth 14cm
A minaudière is a both a piece of jewellery and a handheld alternative for a lady’s evening bag. The present minaudière is by Boucheron, the famed Parisian jeweller. The piece is known as ‘Or/Argent’, French for Gold/Silver. Those two colours define the colour palette of the piece, though it is crafted from silver and vermeil, or gilded silver.
It is of rectangular form, with a hinged cover. The top of the cover is adorned with pierced vermeil scrolling foliage, the flowers throughout centred with rubies. The minaudière opens to reveal a powder compartment, a mirror, a comb holder with a horn comb, a cigarette holder, and two lipstick cylinders.
The silver of the minaudière is hallmarked, signed, and numbered, and is accompanied by its original fitted case stamped to the interior ‘Boucheron / London 180 New Bond Street / New York 1 East 57th Street / 26 Place Vendôme / Paris’.