Can - .925 silver

Sterling Silver Rectangular Table Cigarette Case / Tabatière (Tobacco Box), 1900-1920
Rectangular case with guilloché pattern and twisted rope edge in 925 sterling silver (179 g) – Engraving “ST SILVER” on the base – originally possibly used as a table cigarette case / tabatière (tobacco box).
Guilloché pattern: The fine, parallel lines on the lid and sides give the metal a textile appearance and also help to conceal fingerprints.
Twisted rope edge: The surrounding decoration in the form of a twisted rope (cordon motif) is a typical feature of high-quality silverwork from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Thumb depressor: The small recess on the front facilitates opening the lid and is precisely fitted.
Dating: Based on the guilloché pattern and the rope edge, the box can be stylistically bounded: such fine, machine-engraved patterns were particularly popular between 1880 and 1920 (Historicism to late Edwardian/early Art Deco).
Place of manufacture: There is no information available about the place of manufacture of the box.
The engraving “ST SILVER” on the base of the box could indicate production in North America (USA/Canada) or in Asia (especially China/Hong Kong) for export. The simple yet precise execution could also point to a German or Austrian silversmith.
Further information: An interior bottom engraving of “9” is certainly a fitting-mark intended to aid the precise alignment of lid and base. A two-part acrylic insert was undoubtedly added later.
Measurements: Width: 11.5 cm, Depth: 7.0 cm, Height: 3.0 cm; Total weight (without plastic insert): 179 g, Silver content (925): ~165.58 g fine silver.
Good age-appropriate condition.