Antique French Ribbonwork Powder Boxes & Compacts

This is a small French powder compact that is double. In other words, whoever created this beauty used two cardboard powder boxes and put them together. In addition to this unique feature, this charming box also has a gold metallic lame' cord attached to the center. It is decorated with glass and wooden beads and a loop on one side which can be cinched down for securing on the finger. Both lids are covered in pale aqua silk with gold metallic lame' netting over the top. They are then decorated with pretty silk ribbon rosette/rococo trim in variegated pastel shades. The sides are covered with gold metallic lame' trim. On the underside of each lid is a mirror that has significantly darkened with age making the mirror impossible to see a reflection in. Both sides have a tiny (1 1/4") velour powder puff inside and one side still contains a partial cake of coral powder rouge. The other side is empty. It measures 2" high and 1 3/4" in diameter.


A beautiful, larger sized hand decorated French boudoir/vanity powder box dating to the early 1900's. This box is a nice size that would have been used on the dressing table. It measures 2 1/2" in diameter and stands 2" high. It is covered in pale pink damask silk and several types of gold metallic lame' lace and netting, as well as floral ecru cotton netted lace. The lid has fine lame' netting over the pink damask with a dark pinkish silk ombre' ribbon flower and one dark green ombre' leave. The perimeter is trimmed in metallic lame' trim with a circle of tiny pink silk ribbon roses/rosettes with green variegated leaves. The sides of the box feature two flounces of ecru netted lace. The bottom portion has additional lame' trim with another circle of the tiny pink rose trim.The top of the puff has a pale pink silk ribbon bow with a tiny bone ring for a handle. The interior of the box is lined with cream pearlized moire' textured paper. Photo and description from worthopedia.

A beautiful hand-decorated French oval box dating to the early 1900's.This box is oval in shape and measures 3 1/2" by 2 1/2" and stands 1 1/4" high. It is covered with rose-colored silk and gold lame' metallic trim. The lid is decorated with a beautiful pink variegated ombre' silk ribbon flower that has tiny yellow stamens in the center. The perimeter of the lid is trimmed with pink variegated silk rosette/rococo trim with variegated green leaves. Photo and description from worthopedia.



This beautiful powder box is of French origin and dates to the early 1900's. This is a finger or wrist compact and has a gold metallic lame' cord attached to the base and lid that is attached to a bone or ivory ring and decorated with a bluish glass bead that has an iridescent pinkish hue. It measures about 3" long including the ring. The box is made from cardboard that was covered with rose-colored silk and then decorated with several types of lame lace and trim as well as French silk rosette trim. On the underside of the lid is a mirror. The box measures 2 1/2" in diameter and stands 3/4" high. Photo and description from worthopedia

A beautiful and rare hand decorated French compact dating to the early 1900's. The sides are edged in lame' lace/trim. The lid is decorated with variegated pink ribbon rosette/rose trim with green leaves. There is a larger sized pink silk flower in the very center made from variegated ombre' silk ribbon with metallic threads. The interior of the box is covered in pretty pink paper and there is a mirror on the underside of the lid.  Photo and description from worthopedia.










Antique 1920s French silk powder box , composed of lace, metallic lamé braid and silk flowers.Photo and description from worthopedia.















Antique French silk powder box. The thread work is intricate. This box still contains the puff and the powder disc. The box measures approx. 1 1/4" tall by 1 3/4" in diameter. Photo and description from worthopedia.














Silk fabric, gold lame lace, and delicate ribbon work. This powder box measures approximately 2 1/2" in diameter and 3/4" in height. The lids backing is a dusty rose color with gold metallic lame on the top and sides. There is a garland of little silk flowers and leaves and a larger blue silk ribbon flower in the center. The inside of the lid has its original mirror and label from Paris France. Photo and description from worthopedia.










Silk fabric, gold lame lace, and delicate ribbon work. This powder box measures approximately 1 3/4" in diameter and 7/8" in height. The lids backing is a muted yellow silk with gold metallic lame lace on top. There is a garland of little silk flowers and leaves. The sides are made up of two rows of metallic ribbon that with time have left a turquoise color oxidation around half of the metallic ribbon. The inside of the lid has its original mirror. Photo and description from worthopedia.










A rare double French finger compact powder box dating to the early 1900's. This one contains darkpink rouge and white face powder. It measures 3 1/2" by 1 3/4" and stands 1" high. The sides of the top and bottom are covered with two different types of gold lame' trim and the bottom portion also has silk ribbon rosette trim in pastel shades. Attached to the sides of the lid is a gold metallic lame' cord that is about 4" long. It has a brown wooden bead that slides and a 1" bone ring attached to the end. The lid is covered in pink silk with gold metallic lame' netting and there is an exquisite ribbon work flower bouquet in the center featuring two pale pink silk roses, two tiny pink rosettes and three green ombre' silk leaves. There is a mirror on the underside of the lid and inside it contains two tiny powder puffs that measure about 1 1/4" in diameter. The puffs are made from wool. The rouge puff is topped in pink silk and the other one is topped in cream silk. Each has a tiny bone ring for a handle. Photo and description from worthpoint.

Silk fabric, gold lame lace, and delicate ribbon work. This powder box measures approximately 2 1/8" in diameter and 1" in height. The entire box is backed in a silk dusty rose color with gold metallic lame on the top and sides. There is a garland of matching dusty pink silk flowers and sage leaves and a larger pink silk ribbon flower in the center.Photo and description from worthopedia.