Historical information

This manicure set would have been used in a household in the early 20th century and beyond that date as the contents are usable to this day. The contents of manicure sets do not vary much but the purchase of an expensive silver set would not be common today.

Significance

This manicure set is of interest as an attractive household item from the past. It will be useful for display.

Physical description

This is a rectangular-shaped wooden box with a black cloth covering. The lid of the box has triangular-shaped sides to allow for the shapes of the contents. The box has two gilt metal clips and the lid is lined inside with padded navy and white cloth. The base of the box is lined inside with navy felt material and has indentations or insets in which to fit the contents pieces. The contents include two pairs of scissors, a nail file, a pair of tweezers, two cuticle repair instruments, a brush or pad and two small jars for holding powder or paste. One jar contains some sort of powder. All the manicure set pieces are made of silver or have silver handles or tops. The silver is tarnished. One pair of scissors may not be the original piece.