Featured 935 silver + guilloche enamel pocket brush & comb in leather case with mirror

Here's another of today's “finds” - found right here in my own house! Like many other things, this little cutie has been packed away for ages. (Please excuse my night-time photos; if I hadn't taken them tonight, it would undoubtedly be forever again before I got back to this.)


This is a soft leather case, about 4 5/8” x 2 5/8” when closed, with a pearly snap closure. The case opens up flat to about 7 7/8”. Inside is a 3/4” wide leather strap, sewn down the middle to hold a 4 1/2” comb and a 4 1/2” handle-less brush.


The tops of the comb and brush are silver, marked only 935, with no maker's marks. There is undamaged guilloche enamel along both sides of the comb and along the top of the brush. (My flash may make it look as if some enamel is missing. It is not.)




Also inside is a 2 1/4” x 4” mirror, with an ingenious leather tab and leather holder that allows the mirror to stand up. Here are 2 views, including my attempt to show how the mirror stands up:



I'm assuming that this is European, possibly Scandinavian.

I'm curious about the age of this set and would also appreciate any other information or thoughts that anyone here might have about it.

Thanks so much!
-C-

 

Yes, the enamel is really hard to see....
A nice gentleman's traveling set.
My Dad had a comb like that with his silver top monogrammed clothes brush.
His , I think was from the 50's...and the darn glue holding the comb top dried out & the top never fit properly....became distorted....& he tossed it.
I still have the brush.

 

935 is mostly used in countries that used to have the Loth/Lot silver fineness system. It is a conversion of 15 Loth, which is 937.5. So the German-speaking world or Eastern Europe would be the prime suspects.
It was also used in the Netherlands and some other non-Loth countries, but in most countries assay or guarantee marks were mandatory. My bet is on Germany.

 

I think Switzerland, they used 935 a lot up to the 1920s, they were noted for enamel work and had a good tourist market for this type of item, mostly affluent British, at that time.

 

Most likely dates to the first quarter of the 20th century, not Scandinavian, I'd think German too, though Austria and Switzerland are also possibilities, but would more likely find official marks on those two, and the fineness more likely indicated as '0.935' on Swiss. This set, in a different color, bears a maker's mark, I don't recognize it, but with the nice enamel work, might be one of the numerous Pforzheim makers of that era (the seller calls it a ladies set, but believe it was more likely intended as a pocket dressing set for men, the brush for clothes and hats): https://www.rubylane.com/item/424710-01271203/Antique-935-Ladies-Comb-Set-Silver
~Cheryl

 

Thank you all so much for your input!

When I first suggested Scandinavian, it was because I thought the silver fineness was 835, not 935. Once I had posted the photos, I realized that I had misread the number. I went back in and edited, changing the 8 to a 9. I forgot to remove my guess of Scandinavia, so thanks to all who suggested otherwise.

Knowing that it's 935, I do agree that Germany and Switzerland are distinct possibilities and far more likely. Thanks, AJ, AF & Cheryl.

Thanks, too, Komo & Cheryl, for the suggestions that this is a MAN's grooming set. For whatever reason, that simply hadn't occurred to me, and I do believe you're right!

Finally, thanks, Cheryl, for the suggestion of its age - and for finding another like it.

You have all helped immensely!

-C-

 

It's a nice little set, C, in great condition. Just as a note, the seller of the other set says it's pigskin, the lining looks like it might be, but the exterior is more likely calfskin (and '830' rather than '835' would be a typical Scandinavian fineness).

~Cheryl

 

Cheryl, I don't see any evidence of pigskin, myself - none of those little "pores"...
I figured it for a rather nice calfskin.

 

Couldn't see the interior leather well enough to tell, thought it might be because of the color and pigskin was/is often used as a liner for its added strength. Good quality pigskin: http://stormleather.com/page/22/?orderby=date

~Cheryl

 

It certainly looks the same.
It says 'for gallantry tan'. In Dutch the word 'galanterieën' would be used for items like this set. Does gallantry have the same meaning in English? Apart from the standard meaning of course.

 

Cheryl, thanks for the info about pigskin. Perhaps that is indeed what's lining this piece.

AJ, I don't believe "gallantry" is generally used that way in the US. The site Cheryl indicated uses the term "gallantry tan", but that's about the only time I've seen it.

Thanks again, everyone, for your helpful input.
-C-

 

Thanks C.