Vanity accessories are the decorative and practical objects used at a dressing table for grooming, cosmetics and the care of hair, skin and nails. They include hand mirrors, hairbrushes, clothes brushes, combs, scent bottles, powder bowls, pin trays, ring stands, trinket boxes, glove stretchers, button hooks and manicure sets.
Matching dressing table sets became fashionable in the Victorian and Edwardian periods, often made in silver or silver-mounted cut glass, with the backs of brushes and mirrors embossed or engraved and sometimes monogrammed. Birmingham produced vast quantities of silver-backed sets in the early twentieth century, while luxury versions were made in tortoiseshell, ivory and enamel. The Art Deco period introduced chic sets in guilloché enamel, coloured glass, early plastics and chrome, and compacts and lipstick cases became fashionable accessories in their own right. Collectors look for complete matching sets, clear hallmarks, crisp decoration and good condition, since dented silver, worn enamel and missing pieces reduce value. Individual pieces such as scent bottles and powder bowls are also collected separately. Arranged on a dressing table or in a bathroom, vanity accessories add period charm.
