Meissen Hair Receiver ? and Hat Pin Holder

[Michelle Eagle]

Help with information on age of these two pieces.  Is this a squatty hat pin holder and a hair receiver with a lid or trinket box.   Both pieces marked with Meissen blue crossed swords which appear to have three strikes, or cancellation marks though the swords.   I cannot find anything remotely similar.  These are also decorated with the infamous Meissen insects or bugs.

Thanks for your help!

[Nicholas Zumbulyadis]

I will tell you exactly what these objects are. They are parts of a desk set. The covered jar is an inkwell and should have an insert. Usually the inserts are lost. The other piece is what is known as a pound box. It contained some absorbent material and was shaken like salt onto the fresh ink to dry it back when papers were untreated (unlike modern paper). These pieces are Meissen from the second half of the 19th sentury 1870 but before 1924. That is the good news. The bad news is the crossed swords have three cancellation marks (scratches) so the items were decorated outside Meissen probably in one of the Dresden studios. And of course the tray is missing, without it the set loses most of its value.

[Michelle Eagle]

Awesome, no wonder I couldn't find them.  Never came upon anything like that before.

Nick, I have read also that possibly the 3 cancellation marks could be that it was decorated by a Meissen artist to sell privately or they are experimental pieces?   If you would listing these for auction what would a starting $ be, if I may so kindly ask for some advice.

Thanks so much.

[Michelle Eagle]

What would the difference be between what is called a cancellation mark

or a pommel.  I just found that term in my research.   Thanks so much.

[Ruth Weston]

Just beat me to it! I totally agree with Nicholas.

[Michelle Eagle]

Thank you Ruth!