Featured Small Porcelain deposé Shaker

Any ideas as to what this is for please?
Initially I thought pepper but those holes are so tiny I don’t think it would come out, you wouldn’t even get a pin through them.
Marked deposé in the base, does that help date it , is it recent or vintage? Thanks for looking

 

Depose is simply the French term for "registered" as in a registered design. Not exclusive to items from France.

 

Ah, I see! is it still used?
Not helpful it’s used by other countries!

 

I don't know, but I bet Kyra does.

 

Calling @kyratango

 

Face powder maybe; it looks like it's for a boudoir set.

 

Smelling salts is my guess.

 

Sorry, no help I can give on dating Déposé, the fact it was used abroad too is confusing, isn't it

 

Good suggestions Thankyou

 

It’s interesting that some countries took a word from another countries language to use. Odd in fact!

 

Lot of French words in foreign (for me!) languages
Fiancé comes to my mind

 

I suspect it's Limoges made and part of a set, yes. Mid to late 19th with that colour and style of writing.

The accents also make me think French, rather than Italian, ay - when depose is used on Italian or German items, they leave them off. It was a native speaker wrote that.

 

Yes, now you put it like that, not unusual at all!

 

That old! I was thinking 1950/60s! I have so much to learn.

very astute point about the accents.

 

Just throwing this out there,but maybe for sand to blot a letter ?

 

A pounce pot? Entirely feasible.

 

Off to Google……..

 

Certainly possible; it's the right size for a writing box.

 

Just a thought, the letter in the middle of the mark looks like an f to me, and the "s" looks more like an r - Deforé? (That is my handwriting style, taught in US in 1950's, before it all became rounded.) But I can't find any maker of that name, while Déposé is used on lots of ceramics, apparently. Nice little item, unusual painted design, looks a bit oriental to my eye.