Heirloom Identification - Snuff Box?

[stymied]

This item is either fourth or fifth generation and has landed in my lap. After hours of research, I'm pretty sure the date mark is V-4 (1851); the national mark is Sweden; and the name mark is NP (Nelsons Gulddesign). For the life of me, I do not know what the first, single letter W means (either a town mark or a maker's mark, perhaps)? This item was given to either my great or great-great grandmother as a wedding gift from her husband, hence the initials, C.M. Problem is, I don't know if it is a perfume box/snuff box/sponge box/essence box/smelling salts box/vinaigrette box.......

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25578801@N ... hotostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/25578801@N ... otostream/

[Qrt.S]

You have got it a bit wrong. Here you have the correct answer:

The maker's mark INP. He is Johan Niklas Palm 1842-1894. He was born in Visby 5.12. 1839 and died 9.9.1894 The letter "W" is the town mark for the town of Visby on the island of Gotland in Sweden where Palm had his workshop. W4 is as you assumed the year mark for 1851. An interesting detail is really that usually W is not used in year marking but V is. It should be V4, but that doesn't make any difference.

[Qrt.S]

Forgot to tell you that the tree crowns mark, also called the cat's paw, is the Swedish official hallmark guaranteeing a silver fineness of not less than 830/1000.

[stymied]

Thank you so very much for the information. I've been looking off and on for over a year and finding this site has saved me countless more hours. I will put this data with the item for future generations. Your knowledge and time is greatly appreciated.

So, do you think it might be a vinaigrette since it does have a sponge inside? That would have been a very nice wedding gift.

[Qrt.S]

Ypur'e welcome but I'm sorry but I really don't know what it is. Let's hope somebody else does.

[oel]

Hi, in Dutch we should call this a lodereindoosje or Loderein box from "l'eau de reine", scented water that was put on a very small piece of sponge in the box.
If you Google images; 'lodereindoosje' you will find lots of examples.
https://www.google.nl/search?q=lodderei ... 80&bih=885

Oel.

[stymied]

Many thanks to all. You have just made my day!

[dognose]

It reminds me of the 'hovedvandsæg', a type of vinaigrette used when attending a church service, that has a coin holder in the base, but this one does not appear to have space for a coin, unless the base has been repaired and soldered up.

Trev.

[Qrt.S]

A minor mistake to correct. In my reply I stated that Palm was born 1839. The correct year is 1812. Otherwise he would be quite a fantastic silversmith, a master at the age of 3 :-)))))) sorry about that.

Happy Easter to all

Qrt.S

[stymied]

Quite all right! No apologies necessary. Am glad to have the revised information. Thank you again, members. I'll be watching and learning.