This patch box was probably used to store and apply cosmetic products like rouge, powder, or patches and has a mirror inside its lid. Historically, patch boxes were used by both men and women especially during the Victorian period. They were manufactured in Staffordshire particularly in Bilston and Wednesbury by using the enamel process of decorating metal with coloured vitreous glazes. They were just one of many luxurious trinkets through which wealth and taste could be displayed. Some were made of precious metals, like gold or silver, and were sold at correspondingly high prices; others employed relatively inexpensive materials and were thus available to the expanding middle classes.
Although this patch box in question was manufactured in England in Staffordshire, patch boxes originated in France in the 14th century. These boxes were an opportunity to display exquisite craftsmanship and convey heartfelt sentiments. The tops of these containers were often beautifully decorated with charming words and delicate artistry. Some featured hand-painted landscapes (true miniature works of art) while others bore heartfelt messages, expressing love or friendship. These eloquent statements made patch boxes a favoured gift or token of affection between friends or lovers. The patch box trend then spread to other parts of the world especially in the UK during the 15th century but becomes very popular during the Victorian period when people started to use them as a way of displaying wealth and class.
This patch box contains a lock of hair bound in a piece of paper and string and a coin, with one filled in hole and another hole with a loop through it as if to hang it on a necklace.
This object was audited and researched as part of the Heritage Fund Data Hunters and Story Gatherers project.
