Name/Title
Decorative lithographed tin (round slip-lid canister)Entry/Object ID
2025.11.43Description
A small round tinplate canister with a stepped slip-on lid, chromolithographed in an Orientalist (Indian/Persian-inspired) ornamental scheme on a gold ground. The lid carries concentric ruled bands around a central foliate rosette medallion set within a ring of diamond/dot motifs, framed by a floral garland border. The body is decorated in horizontal registers of paisley/boteh, rosette, and geometric diaper ornament in red, blue, and gold. The underside is plain bare/tinned metal with corrosion spotting and no printing.Acquisition
Accession
2025.11Acquisition Method
PurchaseMade/Created
Notes
Maker: Not identified. No maker's name, brand, contents text, or country mark on the lid, sides, or base.
Date: Undatable from the object. Chromolithographed decorative tins in this Orientalist style were produced from the late 19th into the mid-20th century; the style and patina are consistent with a date that may predate the collection's range. Manufacture cannot be confirmed within 1959–1990 and may fall outside it (possibly earlier).
Place of Origin: Undetermined. The ornament draws on Indian/Persian decorative motifs; such tins were produced in Britain, India, and continental Europe, among others. No origin mark present.Inscription/Signature/Marks
Notes
None. Purely ornamental; no lettering, brand, or stamp on any surface.Materials
Material Notes
Materials: Chromolithographed tinplate (printed sheet steel/tin), lid and body.
Technique: Transfer chromolithography on tinplate, formed into a round box with a stepped slip-on lid and rolled seams.Research Notes
Notes
An unmarked decorative chromolithographed tin in an Orientalist (Indian/Persian) ornamental style, of a type used for tea, confectionery, tobacco, or toiletries; the original product and maker are not identifiable from the object. Such ornamental tins were frequently retained and repurposed in households (for sewing notions, buttons, small keepsakes)Created By
María A. Cabrera ArúsCreate Date
January 28, 2026Updated By
María A. Cabrera ArúsUpdate Date
June 12, 2026
