Bidspirit auction | EUROPEAN ART NOUVEAU FITTED MANICURE

EUROPEAN ART NOUVEAU FITTED MANICURE SET, C. 1900 - A European Art Nouveau fitted manicure and nail care set, maker untraced, circa 1900, housed in a rectangular hinged box clad in embossed, patinated leather with silver-toned metal mounts and a red velvet interior lining. The exterior lid and sides are decorated in low relief with trailing stems of hanging bellflower blossoms and heart-shaped leaves in warm golden-brown tones against a stippled dark brown ground, resting on a floral repoussé base border raised on four spherical feet with a front catch. Inside, the fitted red velvet tray retains three unmarked silver-plated metal implements alongside an empty molded recess for a missing fourth tool: a circular lidded salve jar with a high-relief floral repoussé cover, a chamois-padded nail buffer with a curved, fluted pod-form handle mounted on twin posts over a foliate-bordered base, and a matching fluted pod-handle nail file with a pointed steel blade. vanity, dresser, grooming, toiletry, antique, jugendstil, boudoir, travel, pewter, vintage, collectible. Dimensions 8 x 5 x 3 in. All measurements are approximate. Condition Condition shows notable age wear. The embossed leather box exhibits scuffs, minor finish losses, and a split, partially detached bottom panel. One tool is missing from the right velvet recess. The silver-plated implements display tarnish, plating wear, oxidation on the steel file blade, and red residue on the buffer pad.