Maker and age: This superb antique porcelain trinket box has an unidentified green anchor mark and its maker and age are unknown. The style and the quality of the porcelain suggest that it is European in origin.

Similar marks were used by the French maker Vion et Baury. The company was founded in 1845 by the renowned porcelain artist Jean-Marie Gille, whose Paris studio at 28 Rue Paradis-Poissonniere specialized in superb quality biscuit porcelain figurines. When Gille died in 1868, the business was taken over by Désiré Vion and Charles Baury, a modeller at Gille's studio. Baury passed away in 1877 and the company closed two years later.

It is possible that this box is by Vion et Baury but it is by no means certain. Other makers have used similar green anchor marks, including England's Chelsea and the Trenton, New Jersey, maker Thomas Maddock & Sons, and perhaps others. So the maker and age of this lovely box remain a mystery.

Design: The box is in a classic basketweave design with raised pink roses and green leaves, and finely painted flowers on the lid and sides. Several European porcelain makers produced similar designs in the early 20th century.

Size: The box is 5 1/4 inches long, 4 3/4 inches wide and 2 5/8 inches tall without the lid. It weighs 15 ounces.

Condition: It's in excellent condition with no marks, nicks, chips, cracks, scratches, stains, discoloration or repairs. There is light wear to the gold trim. The raised flowers appear to all be intact but that is not guaranteed so please check all the photos very carefully - they are an important part of the description.