Engraved Silver Pill Box by George Unite
Engraved Silver Pill Box by George Unite
The silver pill box was made by George Unite & Sons of 65 Caroline Street, Birmingham in 1892. The box has floriate engraved decoration on the lid and base and has a gilded slightly worn interior. The lid has a cartouche which is inscribed JML Klopper, Springfield.
Jacobus Marthinus Lourens Klopper lived on the farm Stydfontein outside Springfield, a small town in what was then the Orange Free State Republic, at the time that the box was inscribed. His wife, formerly a Kruger, was a relative of Paul Kruger, the President of the Zuid Afrikaanse Republiek.
The box was acquired from Rosemary Snead, a direct descendant of the Kloppers. Rosemary is an author and opera tutor, living in Johannesburg. Thus, the box is not only made by one of the most famous English silversmiths of the 19th Century, but is also a true piece of Africana.
The box has Birmingham hallmarks with the date letter for 1892, as well as maker’s letters “GU” for George Unite.
Weight 37.2g.
Age 1892
Origin Birmingham, England
Dimensions 5.2cm x 3.2cm x 1.1cm
Condition Excellent – some wear on interior gilding
Stock Code BF882
