Historical information

The clothes brush was donated along with a vanity set owned by a local woman who lived in the Harbour Master's house at Warrnambool at the turn of the 19th century. The clothes brush and vanity set were possibly a wedding gift from her mother-in-law, a local business woman who was an importer of 'china and fancy goods'.

Significance

The item is significant socially as an example of accessories available to, and used by, women in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Historically, it is linked to a local import business ‘Staffordshire House’ in Timor and later Liebig St, Warrnambool, where it most likely came from.

Physical description

The top of the clothes brush has an ornate dragon design constructed from pressed metal (possibly tin or chrome). The natural bristles of the brush have been glued together in small clumps and placed in holes in a wooden base. The wooden base is held within the metal top using small nails.