ROUGE POTS (CALLED DRESSER JARS TODAY HAVE A GREAT HISTORY) WERE FIRST USED BY THE EGYPTIANS IN 3000 BC. MAKE UP WAS USED BY THE UPPER CLASS TO "DECORATE" A PERSONS EYES AND SET THEM APART FROM LOWER CLASS. DURING THE VICTORIAN PERIOD,WHICH LASTED FROM1837 TO 1901 COSMETIC USE WAS LINKED TO ACTRESSES AND POSTITUTES. SILVERSMITH'S STARTED DESIGNING BEAUTIFUL CONTAINERS TO HOLD A LADIES PRODUCTS SUCH AS RICE POWER TO DUST THEIR NOSES. BEET JUICE TO MAKE THEIR CHEEKS ROSIER. AND CLEAR POMADE WAS USED TO GIVE THE LIPS A GLOSSY SHEEN.
IT WASN'T UNTIL THE EARLY 1900'S THAT MAKEUP BECAME MORE SOCIALLY ACCEPTED AND GAIN POPULARITY. SILVERSMITH'S DESIGN PRODUCTS FOR EACH OF A LADIES NEEDS FOR ROUGE PRODUCTS. THE SMALL VESSELS COULD BE TAKEN TO A LOCAL PHARMACY AND REFILLED. LARGE POWDER CONTAINERS WERE DESIGNED AS WELL AS HAIR RECEIVERS. UPPER CLASS LADIES HAD CONTAINERS WITH STERLING LIDS WHILE LOWER CLASS HAD NON-STERLING LIDS. THESE ROUGE POTS WOULD FIT IN A TRAVELING CASE OR SIT NICELY ON THE DRESSER. THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT ROUGE POTS THAT WERE DESIGNED IN MANY OF THE SILVER DISTRICTS IN ENGLAND, THE 1920'S SAW THE INVENTION OF MANY SELF CONTAINED BEAUTY PRODUCTS AND THE STERLING "BEAUTIES" WENT AWAY.
A GREAT COLLECTIBLE, USEFUL AND BEAUTIFUL TO USE TODAY. THIS ONE IS OVAL SHAPED 3 1/2 TALL 2 3/4 INCHES WIDE. MONOGRAMED. HALLMARKED INSIDE THE LID FOR "JOHN POUND & CO. LONDON. ENGLISH HALLMARK IS ON THE OUTSIDE RIM. SEE PHOTOS