Featured Is this a sardine box? Who made it?

You are very welcome @Bookahtoo!!

I did not delve into the marks. I will leave that to others.

Maybe @Fid can help with those.

 

Maybe the box isn't big enough?

(Randomly taken from an internet article....)

Biology

• Pacific sardines are fast growing and can grow to more than 12 inches long.

 

BRING 'em home ALIVE?????????????????????

 

Looks medical

 

When I first saw this, I thought Purse. They made some mid century purses that sorta looked like this, boxy and with metal clasps. I know that's not right, but this thing just doesn't compute as a biscuit box. Not saying it isn't one, but how would you use it?

So your guests have arrived for tea, and you drop this clunker in the middle of the table? Help yourself to a biscuit/cookie. It seems too fancy just for storage of biscuits, so assume it was meant to be placed on the table. I can see why you might want to lock up biscuits, to prevent the little goblins from eating them down to the last crumb, but the box would not have to be this fancy. See what I'm getting at here?

But I do like it so maybe it was supposed to be a lovely kitchen accessory? Or something you set on the sideboard in the dining room? I'm talking myself into this biscuit jar concept.

 

Images of 'antik porzellan brotdose' (antique porcelain lunch box/pail, sandwich box): https://www.google.com/search?q=ant...mg&ei=DHJKX_W6FJOezQKElZ6wBQ&bih=754&biw=1536


Waechtersbach brotdose: https://veryimportantlot.com/en/lot/view/wachtersbach-brotdose-40539






~Cheryl

 

You describe your piece as silverplated, but to my eye, appears to have the look of nickel silver or nickel plating - was it tarnished?


Little luck on the manufacturer of the frame, suspect surname would something like 'Schuster' or 'Schumacher' (shoemaker) - there's also the possibility it was one of the Jewish firms lost in 1930s Germany. Did find a couple of other pieces, but the maker still unidentified - one warmer described as chrome-plated brass, and a knife rack described as brass or copper (suspect originally plated).




https://www.ebay.de/itm/132567242500






~Cheryl

 

I think the original idea of a sandwich box or, as I would interpret that, a picnic basket is most likely correct. I guess it could also be considered a really fancy lunch box. I love the ones with the blue floral design.

I think the one that I posted that said it was for biscuits or cookies was guessing at the possibilities & put whatever they could come up with in the title.

They should have come here so we could help them out.

 

would be logic. for syringes, drugs, etc..
who'd lock up a samwhich ? or little fish ?
makes only sense when it is for something precious like tea, tobbaco etc.

 

I vote all of the above for what to call it. It is a neat item no matter what the original purpose was. Cookies, sammich, sardines, lunchbox.

 

Don't believe the latch was really intended as a lock, but to just keep the box closed - you can put anything through the staple, doesn't have to be a padlock, could also be a simple pin.


These seem to come in various sizes, some so large that feel sure they were intended for loaves of bread, more brotkasten (bread box/bin), yet still having handles and hasp & staple latches - with the OP's at the smaller end, have a hard time seeing it for more than a sandwich or lunch for a single person...


Also have a hard time seeing these for medical purposes.


This larger one says, 'Give us today our daily bread!': http://deerbe.com/unt/31862-alter_brotkasten_emaille_brotdose_mit_spruch_art_deco_jugendstil.html




This even larger one shows a family, mother with a loaf of bread, father bringing in the wheat: https://www.ricardo.ch/de/a/antike-email-brotdose-1065896472/




~Cheryl

 

unser täglich brot gib uns heute is part of the Vater Unser. so it's religiously loaded. are there special boxes for hosts or wafers ? or for all those special small breads around christmas ?

 

Of course it's religious in origin, from the Lord's Prayer - don't understand what you mean by 'religiously loaded', and am unclear if you believe the presence of that line insinuates that its use must be related to religious purposes. It's found on numerous items like bread boxes, boards, trays, bowls, plates, etc., both in German and in English, as well as other languages - don't believe that the vast majority were in any way intended for specifically religious use...

https://www.google.com/search?q=ant...mg&ei=cbBKX_2FDNLhzALH7qjoAQ&bih=754&biw=1536

https://www.google.com/search?q=ant...mg&ei=_rFKX5D0JMuFzgKFzbuwDQ&bih=754&biw=1536

~Cheryl