We are not absolutely certain what this jar’s original use was. From its style we think it dates from the Edwardian era – roughly the first ten years of the twentieth century.
On display, it seems perfectly clear.
This item is clearly labelled as a hair tidy. That’s a container which might find a place on a dressing table into which combed out hair could be put and stored until there was enough for some kind of hair piece..
But it could also be an inkwell, being a container with a small opening, ideal for dip-in pens.
It has been in the museum for a very long time. It would be good if we could get some accurate information about just what this lovely little jar is for.