Collectible Enamel And Porcelain Boxes.

About Collectable Enamel And Porcelain Boxes.
Collectable boxes were first fashionable in the Georgian Period. From the mid 1700s they were popular as snuff boxes, needle or bodkin cases, patch boxes, pill boxes, stamp cases, keep safes, souvenirs and love tokens. You can find both porcelain boxes and enamel boxes. These boxes often have metal fittings with a hinged lid and some have screw on lids. There is occasionally a little decoration inside the box as well as on the outside. The original enamel boxes were made Battersea London.

Today both porcelain and enamel boxes are once again popular with collectors. These can be found in a wide range of subjects and themes with the art work often being to a very high standard. Themes include Childrens stories ( eg Beatrix potter), Christmas & Easter annual collectors editions, Historical & modern event commemoratives, Royalty, Floral & animal themes ( cat and dog boxes are popular gifts). Boxes can be round, oval, square shapes. They can also be in the form of animals and other objects such as bags, fruit and in particular egg shaped boxes . Whatever their form collectable boxes are small and precious - manufactured to please the eye and to be kept long term

Todays porcelain boxes are made by many of the quality Staffordshire manufacturers ( Wedgwood, Spode and Mintons to name just three). Boxes made by the major European manufacturers and in Limoges (France) are also of high quality.
Enamel boxes have been produced again since the 1970s by Halcyon days ( Bilston & Battersea enamels). Following these other manufacturers include Crummles & Staffordshire enamels. One manufacturer started out as Kingsley enamels, this company was bought by Moorcroft who have now ceased production but the company continues with many of the original artists as Elliot Hall. Both porcelain and enamel boxes frequently have the manufacturers insignia on the base and are sometimes also signed by the artists who designed and decorated them.

You can find a growing selection of collectable enamel and porcelain boxes here at AntiquesAvenue - the ones you find here are not new and therefore cannot be found easily elsewhere.