Vinaigrette box 1803

"Vinaigrette box" is a small, octagonal silver box created in 1803 by William Thompson II, a silversmith who lived from 1802 to 1818. It is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. The box features a simple, elegant design with a circular depression on the top surrounded by two concentric circles. The box, a common personal accessory of the early 19th century, would have held a small piece of perfumed cloth or sponge to ward off unpleasant odors. The small size and delicate design of this silver box are characteristic of early 19th-century silverwork.