7.5cm (3in) x 17.7cm (7in) x 6.5cm (2.6in)
Silver. Officer’s shoulder belt pouch flap applied with the a crowned VR cypher of Queen Victoria (reigned 1837-1901). Hallmarked beneath the VR Cypher for maker CR and London 1856. The flap adapted to form part of the hinged lid of a velvet lined mahogany table top table box.
Originally worn by cavalrymen as containers for carbine rifle ammunition, shoulder belt pouches assumed purely decorative usage in the mid 19th century. Late in the century the tradition of recycling the silver elements of an officer’s uniform for domestic use was developed with a number of prestigious silversmithing firms carrying out the bespoke work to order.