Soap and sponge boxes ca. 1739 Marked by C. Louis Gérard Matching spherical boxes such as this pair were often made to accompany a silver shaving basinan oval bowl with a broad notched rim that allowed the basin to be pressed against a gentleman’s neck while he was being shaved. The decorative piercing on the sponge box had a practical purpose: it allowed air to circulate to dry the damp sponge. The unpierced box accommodated a piece of soap, which, in the eighteenth century, was purchased in a ball rather than a bar.. Soap and sponge boxes. French, Douai (Lille Mint). ca. 1739. Silver. Metalwork-Silver