Sterling silver unknown item Please help ID

I would love to know what this item is and well as any help with the maker's mark. Thank you. The top twists open and close.

 

How tall?

Made by Simons & Brothers of Phila, PA. See details here: https://www.sterlingflatwarefashions.com/Silversmiths/SSS7.html

Not really sure what it is. Height might help.

 

So sorry about that, 2" tall. I thought it was some kind of salt shaker, but that can't be right. Maybe sugar?

 

Cinnamon? A talcum powder holder from a travel kit?

 

Interesting!! I had not thought of either of those things.

 

I'm also wondering how the opening closes and opens again.

 

The top does not come off, just twists open and closed.

 

Then how do they put something in it to pour out?

 

With a funnel.

 

Seems laborious, when you could just create something that unscrewed at the top.

 

My money is on Talcum powder for a dresser set.

 

Does the bottom screw off?

 

Would think this is most likely a tooth powder container, likely missing its cap - possibly from a nice travel set...

~Cheryl

 

That's a hell of a lot of tooth-powder, though.

What else? Talcum powder, maybe? I dunno. It doesn't open up AT ALL?

 

I agree. I think its frozen and that the grip points on the top piece are for grabbing and turning.

 

Not sure how something 2" tall would hold "a hell of a lot of tooth-powder"...


This ad from 1908 doesn't show the opening, but tooth powder containers typically allow pouring a bit out rather than sprinkling as you would talcum powder - an adjustable sliding 'door' also not uncommon on tooth powder containers (on spice containers as well, but I don't believe that would be the purpose of this piece) - note the size is 2.5" with cap:





~Cheryl

 

Yeah but you don't need much tooth-powder to clean your teeth. Even if it is only a couple of inches high, that's a lot of powder.

If it is a tooth-powder jar, then that's something new to me. At least, in silver, anyway.

 

An ultrasonic cleaning ought to fix that up.

Just looking at it, it'd be my opinion that the BASE unscrews, and that you pour the powder (whatever it is) into the container THAT way, with the lid closed. Then you screw the base shut again, and then dispense through the adjustable hole at the top.

It just needs cleaning, or something, to unscrew it.

 

The majority of my silver references are packed away, but a variety of tooth powder containers are found in quite a few - my reprint of the 1904 Unger Bros. catalog happened to be handy, so I took some pics...


An "All Silver" tooth powder bottle:




Sizes aren't given, but the scale of the glass tooth powder bottle is evident from the tooth brush bottle - these pieces are shown without their silver caps:




The full page, showing the caps/tops/lids available:




A larger fancy tooth powder bottle:




~Cheryl