Decorative arts — 1802
Tooth powder box
This tooth powder box is taken from a travelling kit, which also contains a toothbrush and a tongue scraper. Such kits would often be included in a toiletry case for taking on a journey. Long silver tooth powder boxes of this type first appeared on the London market in the 1780s. The box has two compartments with the lids hinged in the middle. A variety of tooth powders were sold by apothecaries. Many early powders actually damaged teeth because they contained substances, such as brick dust and ground cuttlefish bone, that wore away tooth enamel.
- Category:
- Decorative arts
- Object ID:
- 88.403/3
- Object name:
- tooth powder box
- Object type:
- Artist/Maker:
- Lockwood, Richard, Douglas, John
- Related people:
- Related events:
- Related places:
8 Clerkenwell Green, Islington, London [Islington], Islington
- Production date:
- 1802
- Material:
silver
- Measurements/duration:
- L 98 mm, W 34 mm, H 10 mm (overall)
- Part of:
- —
- On display:
- —
- Record quality:
- 100%
- Part of this object:
- —
- Owner Status & Credit:
Permanent collection
- Copyright holder:
digital image © London Museum
- Image credit:
- —
- Creative commons usage:
- —
- License this image:
To license this image for commercial use, please contact the London Museum Picture Library.