Toothpick/Pomander

A pomander was a pierced container, usually of highly decorated metal, containing an aromatic substance, such as balsam resin or ambergris (a sweet-smelling oily wax regurgitated by the sperm whale), worn to protect against bad odors. Women often suspended them from their girdle (belt). "Pomander" can also refer to the sweet-smelling substances themselves, which today we may put in a drawer with linens or underwear.Here, a small pomander is combined with a toothpick, a necessity in the time before toothbrushes. Queen Elizabeth I of England (1533-1603) carried one. During the 1600s, the popularity of wooden toothpicks made carrying one like this a bit old-fashioned.For the latest information about this object, Toothpick/Pomander, visit the Online Collection of the Walters Art Museum.