Mark Chee Sterling Silver Mirrored Compact

Remember the days before our world was filled with disposable plastic junk - when quality and beauty meant something? 

Even in the world of makeup, cosmetics like pressed powder, perfume, blush, and eye-shadow used to be placed into lovely artful mirrored compacts.

What we've got here is a merging of those old world quality products with handmade Native American silver objects. This is an incredibly rare sterling silver mirrored makeup compact by the revered Navajo silversmith Mark Chee. It's difficult enough to find Mark Chee's jewelry, but finding an extraordinary silver object like this is a real boon.

When opened, the 3" box reveals a mirror in the top and a round sunken tray in the bottom perfect to hold pressed powder or blush. Surrounding the circular tray are four natural turquoise stones and patterned silver work. When closed at the little turquoise latch, the vintage box has an almost Parisian look to it with four outside stamps that are reminiscent of the Eiffel Tower. Could Mark Chee have been going for a Parisian style? It's definitely plausible, and that's one of the elements that makes this unusual silver box so special. 

The other remarkable element is the provenance. The compact is part of the private, personal collection of renowned Native American art dealer, collector and scholar Martha Hopkins Struever. She loved this piece and kept it on her antique wooden dresser. She acquired it directly from Mark Chee's family, where it had been an heirloom. The piece is unsigned as is common with family pieces.

Use this treasure to store little loose gemstones, tiny trinkets, earring studs, pills or maybe even some makeup. Whatever you do with it, may it bring you so much joy!

Box is in great condition with a lovely patina. There is a tiny dent on the top of the lid as pictured.