Collecting: Bohemian Glass Puff Boxes

Bohemian glass boxes are among the most colorful and appealing small containers of the late Victorian era. Made in Bohemia—then a major center of European glassmaking, now largely within the Czech Republic—these hinged boxes were produced in a broad range of colors, including amber, blue, green, red, purple, Vaseline yellow, clear, and black glass. Many were further decorated with gilded ornament or colored enamel painting, often in floral, scrollwork, jeweled, or scenic designs that gave them the appearance of miniature treasure caskets.

Some examples were made of opaque or semi-opaque opaline glass. When held to the light, genuine opaline can reveal a glowing, fiery translucency beneath its milky surface. True opaline glass was especially associated with France and was often imported, while other glass boxes were given a satinized, softly frosted surface through acid treatment. The distinction is useful for collectors, since “opaline,” “satin glass,” and “Bohemian glass” are sometimes used loosely in modern descriptions even though they refer to different effects or origins.

Victorian catalogues, particularly those dating from about the 1870s through 1900, listed related objects under several names, including “imported Bohemian glass puff boxes,” “Bohemian glass bon-bon boxes,” “jewel boxes,” and “ring boxes.” Similar examples continued to be offered into the early twentieth century, including as late as 1910. Their original purpose depended upon the interior and how the box was fitted, rather than the glass alone.

A puff box held face powder and a powder puff, often made from costly swansdown. A bon-bon box was intended for small sweets or candies. Boxes marketed as jewel boxes or ring boxes were typically lined in padded silk to protect their contents. Thus, while these handsome hinged glass containers are often called patch boxes today, they could originally have served a variety of cosmetic, confectionery, or jewelry-related purposes.

Taking Care of Your Treasures:

Glass patch boxes should be handled with two hands, especially when opening a hinged lid. Dust them with a soft dry cloth or brush, taking care not to catch painted enamel, gilt decoration, or fragile metal mounts. Clear, colored, opaline, satinized, and acid-frosted glass can all be scratched or dulled by abrasive cloths and cleaning powders. Never immerse a hinged glass box, particularly if it has a metal hinge, painted decoration, silk lining, or interior mirror. If an unmounted plain-glass surface truly needs cleaning, use only a barely damp soft cloth, then dry immediately; avoid allowing moisture to reach the joints or decoration. Keep glass boxes away from strong sunlight and rapid temperature changes, which can stress old glass and fade painted or gilded designs.

Avoid displaying boxes in strong sun or under hot lights, and do not store them in attics, basements, or near heat sources. Open lids slowly and never force a stiff hinge. If a box has flaking enamel, loose stones, lifting gilt decoration, corrosion, a cracked body, or a deteriorating mirror, leave it as it is until a conservator can examine it. Preserving original surfaces and signs of age is almost always more important than making an antique box look newly polished.