Vinaigrette

Showing the letter M, the incomplete maker’s mark stamped on this small box has been thought to be that of Matthew Boulton. Boulton is perhaps the most influential individual associated with the production of silverwork in England. Although he was not a silversmith himself, Boulton was one of the first truly great entrepreneurs of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. From his enterprise, Soho, outside Birmingham, he designed, manufactured, and sold a vast array of Sheffield plate and silver items.



Of oblong form with slightly canted corners, the hinged lid of this vinaigrette is engraved with a pattern of trellis work, while the hinged gilt grill is simply pierced.



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.