Here on offer is a unusual antique Victorian hand carved coquille nut treen pocket pomander.

 

This wonderful little piece of treen was designed to be used in different ways. They were often used as pocket pomanders, the Victorians would carry these wonderfully tactile pomanders with them to help disguise their own poor hygiene or to help mask the odours caused by a lack of sanitation. There other major use in the 18^th and 19^th centuries, was to store them in clothing and bedding, filled with a mixture of blood, grease, honey and resin to attract and trap fleas and other parasitic insects, once inside they would be trapped, leaving you untroubled.

 

The coquilla nuts came from Brazil and Mexico with returning European sailors and instantly became popular as they could be carved in many ways and had many purposes. Here it has been carved into a cylinder shape with an crown design caps at each end, one unscrews as a lid, the body is decorated with pierced circles and engraved lines. It unscrews around the base of one of the crowns, the lid still hold some animal wool.

 

The pomander is being offered in good used antique condition, it measures about 8cm by 2.7cm.

 

A delightful collectable piece.

 

Please see my pictures for the details of the condition which complement this description.

 

Thanks for looking and Happy Bidding!

 

Please ask if you would like me to look at cheaper delivery services.

I am always happy to combine postage, all I ask if you let me know if you are bidding on more than one item within a few days of each other. I will pack and weigh the items together and get the best possible price that I can, sometimes weight or value might dictate that I send multiple parcels to get a better value for you