Epaulette Storage Box with Black Moire-Pattern Covering and Blue Interior

An empty epaulette storage box with a removable lid, black exterior covering, and blue paper-lined interior. Its paired rounded ends and deeply incurving sides create a figure-eight outline associated with boxes made to accommodate shoulder ornaments. It measures approximately 7¼ inches long, 4¾ inches across the widest curve, and 1¾ inches tall with the lid in place. The maker, country of manufacture, and exact production date have not been established.

The box appears to be constructed from shaped pasteboard, with thin upright walls following the contours of the base and a shallow lid fitting over the lower section. The lid’s black covering has a moiré-style pattern of irregular, flowing dark lines. Plain black covering extends around the sides. Inside, blue paper covers the bottom of the lower section, while the underside of the lid has a lighter blue-green paper surface. The interior is undivided, without a fitted cushion, retaining ties, or a raised support present.

Epaulettes formed part of military and naval dress uniforms in numerous countries during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Their broad outer ends could carry metal crescents, embroidery, and bullion fringe, while narrower straps extended toward the collar. Such components benefited from separate storage when removed from a uniform. A shaped box provided an enclosure for the pair and helped keep the shoulder ornaments together between occasions of wear.

The form is consistent with that storage tradition, but it does not independently identify a German military association, a particular service branch, or an officer’s rank. No maker’s label, owner’s name, regimental designation, or readable inscription is observed. No epaulettes or shoulder boards accompany the box, and no documented association with a particular pair has been established.

Condition shows wear to the exterior covering and exposed edges. A conspicuous patch of missing black covering along one rounded edge of the lid exposes the pale underlying board, with additional rubbing and smaller losses around the rim and inner curves. The blue interior paper has localized scuffs, pale marks, shallow dents, and unevenness. The lid and base retain their matching outlines. The thin walls and worn edges warrant careful handling.

A supplementary piece for collectors interested in the storage and presentation of dress-uniform insignia. Its shaped construction, patterned black exterior, and contrasting paper interior document the packaging associated with detachable shoulder ornaments. Any proposed pairing should be checked against the box’s internal dimensions and the space required by the insignia and fringe.