From my collections: Charming old table snuff, c.1770s, give or take a decade, the box is entirely decorated by hand in the manner of Vernis Martin, a layering of oil paint and varnish to achieve a depth and decorative style most beloved by Marie-Antoinette, France's ill-fated Queen. A beautifully crafted miniature painting of a young woman of that same era, signed by the artist and kept perfectly under the original convex cover glass in an engraved sterling silver mount. A fine and large table snuff, it is deeper than most at 1 3/8" tall, and is 3 1/8" in diameter. The painting is exquisite, as noted, and much expression and detail in that 1/2" face, chin to hairline. Powdered hair, low bodice. We do not have identity of the young beauty, but the artist might be traceable. See signature, which I believe is Ch. Bermy.
Very good to excellent with age and type considered. The old Vernis Martin survives with a bit of crazing and a little loss, but not much. Age showing just as one expects of a 250 year old box. The brass trim bands are all tightly in place - none lost, which is often the case. The interior is beautiful old tortoise shell, and there is an age hairline visible (see images) on the lid half. Again, rare to find in such good condition.
IMPORTANT NOTE regarding antique tortoise shell or ivory: We are great supporters of protection for endangered species in our modern world. We never buy or sell anything 100 years or newer; we donate to anti-poaching organizations; we don't hunt; we conserve in ways that impact global warming (we're totally solar at home), knowing those measures also protect the animals in the wild today. We also recognize the vast cultural history we preserve with our care and reverence for these antique objects, and agree with CITES that objects over 100 years of age have nothing whatsoever to do with species depletion in our current world.
Our offering exceeds the age limitation of "more than 100 years of age", and is well within the exemption for CITES regulation. If imported, met the CITES regulation. This item will be handled and shipped from our Utah business, and is not available for shipment internationally, nor within the USA to California, NY, Nevada, Hawaii, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington if it contains ivory, sorry. Please see our small print for more details.
