This antique French Crème Eclipse shoe polish tin features a distinctive lithographed full moon face graphic. Produced in France and dates from the early 20th century (circa 1900s–1930s). It was a popular beeswax-based leather polish (cirage à la cire) manufactured by the Société Générale des Cirages Français, which had production facilities in Paris and Lyon.
The iconic lithographed tin features a whimsical, anthropomorphic crescent moon with a smiling face alongside a dark eclipsing shadow. Interestingly, the famous French filmmaking pioneer Georges Méliès directed a commercial for this brand in 1900. The artwork bears an intentional resemblance to the iconic moon face from his landmark 1902 silent film, A Trip to the Moon (Le Voyage dans la Lune). On the right side of the tin, you can see the built-in metal turning key lever, an innovative mechanical design that breaks the airtight seal and opens the container easily. The tin measures 2.55" in diameter and is a wonderful collector's piece.
