175
A gold and bloodstone pounce pot charm, 19th century, the cylindrical vessel in polished bloodstone,
£700 - £900
A gold and bloodstone pounce pot charm, 19th century, the cylindrical vessel in polished bloodstone, capped with a hinged gold lid opening to reveal a pierced powder grid, suspended from a gold handle of rope twist design, length 4cm
'Pounce' is the name of the powder, typically made from cuttlefish bone or dried resin, that was traditionally used in letter writing to smooth rough paper surfaces and to accelerate the drying of the ink.