Chocolate Tin Côte d'Or, World Exhibition Brussels 1935

A vintage Belgian chocolate tin by Côte d'Or, dated 1935 and issued to mark the World Exhibition in Brussels. The gold-coloured tin carries the iconic elephant logo with the inscription "Déposé 1883" and shows on its lid an image of the exhibition complex at the Heizel, inscribed "Bruxelles 1935". The tin stands on small metal feet and has a hinged lid with a city coat of arms in red and green. The interior is finished in plain metal. The exterior shows signs of use and wear to the edges, consistent with its age.

The Brussels International Exposition of 1935 was the 23rd world exhibition, held from April to November at the Heizel. Major brands used such occasions as a prompt for promotional packaging that doubled as a souvenir. Côte d'Or, founded in 1883 and named after the cocoa-growing regions of the Gold Coast, was by then already one of Belgium's most recognisable chocolate brands. This tin sits at the intersection of brand history, Belgian industrial design, and the culture of world exhibitions, making it a document of its time as much as a container.