Antique Edwardian 1907 silver top Birmingham RB& M Blackinton & Millard cut glass ( hobnail) dressing table jar
Some age related wear
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6 cm tall
7 cm round
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Stunning displayed with other items see pictures illustration only
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✨ Antique Cut Glass Vanity Pot with Solid Silver Lid — Birmingham Hallmark
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This utterly gorgeous antique vanity pot would once have graced a lady’s dressing table — and it still has all the elegance and romance of a bygone era. The base is made from richly cut crystal glass, with deep geometric faceted decoration known as hobnail that beautifully catches the light. It feels weighty, tactile, and wonderfully old-world.
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Sitting proudly on top is a smooth domed solid silver lid, bearing clear Birmingham hallmarks along the rim. You can see:
The lion passant — indicating sterling silver
The anchor — the hallmark for Birmingham
A date letter (which will allow us to pin down the exact year — 1907
And the maker’s mark (possibly RB & M / depending on the stamp — often seen on vanity silver of this era)
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These charming pots were typically used to store face creams, powder, jewellery, hairpins, or keepsakes — and today they still make the loveliest decorative and functional pieces.
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❤️ Why we love it
Because it’s small but full of character. There’s something so comforting about owning a piece that has been used and loved for over a century. The silver lid has developed a soft patina, and the cut glass bowl sparkles gently — together they whisper stories of perfume bottles, lace collars, and dressing-table rituals.
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📏 Approximate Size
Height: around 5–6cm
Diameter: around 7–8cm
📌 Condition
This piece is in lovely antique condition with light, age-appropriate wear.
The glass has no major chips or cracks (just the tiniest nibbles expected from age).
The silver lid shows gentle surface wear and polishing marks.
Altogether it presents beautifully — exactly as you'd hope for from an authentic antique vanity pot.
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🎁 Perfect for
✔ Antique collectors
✔ Dressing-table styling
✔ Vintage home décor lovers
✔ A thoughtful, romantic gift
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R B & M — then the lion passant (sterling silver), the anchor (Birmingham Assay Office), and finally a date letter.
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🛠 Maker: R. Blackinton & Millard / R. Blackinton & Co. — BUT imported/registered in Birmingham
The R.B.&M mark is most commonly associated with R. Blackinton & Co., a respected silversmithing firm originally founded in Attleboro, Massachusetts (USA) in 1862. For a time, the firm also stamped pieces R.B.&M, referring to Blackinton & Millard — one of their partnership periods.
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Although American, Blackinton exported a surprising amount of silver to the UK during the late Victorian and Edwardian era — and when silver was sold in Britain, it legally had to be assayed, so pieces often bear Birmingham hallmarks, particularly from 1890–1910, when this kind of jar was at peak popularity.
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The company produced:
✨ vanity ware
✨ brush sets
✨ trinket pots
✨ dressing table jars
✨ scent bottles
…often pairing sterling collars with cut crystal bases.
They had a reputation for:
✔ high-quality finishing
✔ refined but practical domestic silver
✔ stylish, durable table and personal accessories
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The firm later became known simply as Blackinton and continued operating into the 20th century, eventually being acquired in the mid-1900s — but their early silver remains well-loved and collected
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📜 What Your Jar Was For
These were originally dressing-table vanity jars — typically used for:
💄 face powder
💍 small jewellery
🌸 creams or ointments
They were hugely popular 1890–1925 and sold as part of ladies’ dressing-table
✔ silver collar in good condition
✔ glass free from chips or cracks
✔ lid secure
