Vinaigrette or nutmeg box

Thomas Willmore was the patriarch of one of the leading families of Birmingham toy makers known for their quality boxes and buckles, and was one of the original members of the Birmingham assay office in 1773.



This tiny box with its domed lid may have been used as a vinaigrette. It has a snug-fitting pierced inner lid which, unlike most vinaigrette grills, is not hinged. Boxes of a similar domed-shape are known with an inside grater used for nutmeg. It is possible that that was the original function of this example as well but that the grater was lost.



A vinaigrette was intended to hold a tiny sponge dipped in aromatic vinegar. Its interior is gilded to protect the silver from oxidation caused by the acidity of the vinegar. A hinged and decoratively pierced inner lid or grill kept the sponge in place while its perforations allowed the odor to waft through. A whiff of the vinegar might revive someone from a fainting spell. Such vinaigrettes were worn around the neck, on a chatelaine suspended from the waist, or carried in a pocket.