An Edwardian Silver Mounted Horse Hoof Box, Mark of George Ernest Hawkins

Birmingham (1907), featuring a cylindrical box over a mounted hoof, the lid monogrammed "W / J + R".

6 1/2 in.

Collection of a Gentleman, Miami, Florida

In Victorian England, there was a particular fascination with death, mourning, and the memorialization of loved ones and pets. When race horses or horses belonging to high-ranking cavalry officers passed away, they could be memorialized with silver-mounted hooves to commemorate their service or relationship with their companions. These mounts were sometimes elaborate, presented in the form of candlesticks, fanciful inkwells, or boxes.

The hoof has been recently stained, minor denting to the mount and lid, with natural aging and wear to the hoof.