This is an unsigned ornate small metal tray for containing hairpins. I Need Thee Every Hour has an origin in a hymn of the same name by Annie Sherwood Hawks (1835-1918).
The metal is a solid type pot metal. Weight is nice for size at little over 5 oz. A lovely addition to any Victorian vanity. I’ve seen a few of these and they have the dark Victorian look to them but this ones unusually bright with great designs coloring, fancy details and edging and looks great even with the tarnishing going on.
Measures 5 3/8″ x 3 1/2″. Good old condition for age with wear, tarnishing, verdigris, scratches, scuffs, imperfections from making process, nice Patina and still looks great! Has area top left center where gold discolored and looks silver colored/ two toned but believe the gold has came off from something in the dish at one time or just tarnishing from age which old metal does yet still has its nice Patina inside.
Little fun reading found online about the hymn
A New York native, Hawks displayed a gift for verse at the early age of 14, contributing poems on a regular basis to a variety of newspapers. Though she composed over 400 hymn texts, “I Need Thee Every Hour” is the only hymn of hers that is still sung today. Following her marriage to Charles Hawks in 1859, much of Hawks’ life centered on the domestic aspects of rearing three children. She was a member of Hanson Place Baptist Church in Brooklyn, N.Y., where Dr. Robert Lowry, a prominent writer of gospel songs, was her pastor. Lowry encouraged the gift that he saw in Hawks’ poetry.
Guessing made early 1900s or about. Cool Old Little Hairpin Hymn Vanity Tray!! Please check pictures for description and condition.
