This one is just superb and quite unique - it is a gentleman’s dress shoe in a light oak, if I'm accurate in the woodgrain. Elegant 5 3/4” long table snuff from mid-late 1700s, French, hand carved and so much fine pique work in tiny brass pin inlays, it's truly a work of art. The sole is particularly splendid with the brass horseshoe set on heel and 4 hearts, it might well have been crafted to bring luck to a gambler. Overall hardwood and brass stringing and pique and I really am not seeing any areas of loss. Snuff is, of course, pulverized tobacco one 'sniffed' up the nose. The use seems a bit repulsive, though popular in this era. But the variety of magnificent snuff boxes survive to thrill the senses at the variety and artistry of entire industries which created them, artists, all!
Very good to excellent with no obvious flaw to note, apart from just some natural aging. Photos show it well, a beautiful contrast of brown and deeper darker brown hardwoods, and the rather unique pique which is entirely in darker contrasting hardwood on the upper shoe, but the more typical brass pique on shoe’s sole. You can see it in our images, along with the very fine carving delineating the sole, stylish 18th century square toe. The lid closes smoothly and is self-hinged with a wooden dowel, unusual one, this. No warp. A spectacular large example of this very 1700s art.
