Busacca Gallery

This is a gorgeous antique silver green enamel compact box. The box has unique ornamental line designs in contrasting deep translucent green hues. This beautiful green compact was produced in the early 1920s by a highly respected silversmith in the early 20th century. The guilloche pattern is reminiscent of a sun design. The guilloche surface and the mirror is in excellent condition. The front and back has a patterned silver framed surface. The locking mechanism is unusual. Rich and high quality enamel material, skillfully set into the box. There is a little mark on the edged of the enamel compact hard to see, see photos.

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitreous_enamel

Vitreous enamel, or just enamel (or porcelain enamel in U.S. English), is a material made by fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing, usually between 750 and 850 degrees Celsius (1380 and 1560 degrees Fahrenheit). The powder melts and flows and hardens to a smooth, durable vitreous coating on metal, glass or ceramic. The fired enameled ware is a fully laminated composite of glass and metal. According to some sources, the word enamel comes from the High German word smelzan (to smelt) via the Old French esmail. Used as a noun, "an enamel" is a usually small decorative object, coated with enamel coating. Enameling is an old and widely-adopted technology, for most of its history mainly used in jewellery and decorative art, but since the 19th century applied to many industrial uses and in everyday day consumer objects.