Powder Bowl thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Powder Bowl

1930-1939 (manufactured)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Powder bowl and lid, part of a dressing table set, green pearlescent cellulose acetate, with amber-coloured cellulose acetate details. The bowl is bulbous, and has a squat shape, it rests on three transluscent amber feet, with a double amber line running around the body at its widest point. The lotus-shaped lid also has amber edging and a button knob.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Powder Bowl Body
  • Powder Bowl Cover
Materials and techniques
Compression-moulded cellulose acetate
Brief description
Powder bowl; green cellulose acetate; Halex (British Xylonite), 1930s
Physical description
Powder bowl and lid, part of a dressing table set, green pearlescent cellulose acetate, with amber-coloured cellulose acetate details. The bowl is bulbous, and has a squat shape, it rests on three transluscent amber feet, with a double amber line running around the body at its widest point. The lotus-shaped lid also has amber edging and a button knob.
Dimensions
  • Width: 12.4cm
  • Height: 7.6cm
Style
Production typeMass produced
Marks and inscriptions
' "HALEX" MADE IN ENGLAND'
Object history
Fred Bulmer, a collector based in Leeds, Yorkshire, offered his collection of ‘plastic antiques’ to the V&A in late 1982. The Museum chose to purchase 59 objects from Bulmer the following year (for acquisition papers see MA/1/B3395). The objects were divided among the Museum’s collections according to object type: Furniture and Woodwork taking 26 objects (W.50 to 75-1983), Metalwork 18 objects (M.49 to 66-1984) and Ceramics and Glass 14 objects (C.41 to 54-1984).

This object would originally have been part of a matching set with a tray, comb, box and mirror.
Collection
Accession number
C.53-1984

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
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