Hedgehog Enamel Box & Pendant

Hand-enamelled, crystal-set keepsake hedgehog box with a matching petite pendant, the hedgehog a long-standing emblem of protection and quiet wisdom in European folklore. Since antiquity, the hedgehog's coat of bristling spines has made it a symbol of self-defence and resilience, appearing in medieval bestiaries alongside moralising tales of wit and preparedness; Aesop's fables cast the hedgehog as a shrewd outwitter of larger, more boastful creatures. The tradition of hand-enamelled keepsake boxes, meanwhile, reached its height in the late nineteenth century, when the intricate, jewel-like work of the House of Fabergé popularised small enamelled treasures as objects of both craft and sentiment. The little box opens on a hinged, magnetically closing lid, ready to hold treasures, while the dainty pendant carries the motif wherever you go. Charming gift for any animal lover, or for anyone drawn to fine decorative craft.

Colour: Brown
Pewter, enamel, Austrian crystals
Box 7.5 x 5cm; pendant 1cm on 50cm chain
Hinged lid with magnetic closure