Victorian Sterling Silver Genuine Long Handle Swan's Down Art Nouveau Powder Puff

Antiques : Vanity Items : Powder Puffs : Swan's Down

 

Exquisite Victorian swan's down powder puff with long sterling silver handle. This is a rarely seen form, these elegant down puffs are becoming hard to find anyway, to find a long handled one is indeed, very rare. This is a true long handle puff too, not just a longer "knob" handle, but a genuine long sterling handle, only the second one we've ever found. This scarce treasure features a long solid sterling silver handle, marked Sterling on both sides. The handle is heavily repoussed with beautiful Art Nouveau scrolling designs and a tiny gadrooned border. The full, fluffy puff is made of the finest swan's down, far superior and more expensive than any other down. The beautiful puff measures 3" in diameter, the sterling silver handle measures 1 1/4" in length. This absolutely fabulous vanity puff dates to circa 1880, when genteel ladies of the Gilded Age surrounded themselves with the most sumptuous and lavishly exquisite beauty accoutrements imaginable, such as this treasured little accessory. Excellent condition, with no dents or dings, in absolute mint condition, with very light tarnish you may polish if you wish. A superb, rare example, which we can truthfully call "museum quality" as we had a nearly identical one in this rare, long handled form, that is now on exhibit in a Canadian museum.

Item ID: VAN-2709