Antique Georgian to early Victorian carved burl wood and hair art table snuff box, 3.75" diameter and just over 1" tall, set up top with a mourning or sentimental memento hair art. Cover glass is slightly convex, and overall the box is just superb, excellent condition throughout. Dating to c.1820-1850, it has definitely been well treasured over the 2 centuries or so since it memorialized some special loved one. Sometimes hair art was done for sentiments other than mourning, and the variation in colors of the locks of hair used in the monogram might well indicate it is the memento of a young couple's marriage. One blond, one brunette. The initials intertwine and there are no mourning iconographic items that one would expect for mourning, so I'm hoping it's that and not the other possibility. Blond locks often signify a child, however, so we're unable to be certain.
Very good to excellent condition throughout. There is the tiniest nip, 1mm perhaps, on the outer rim of the lid of the snuff box, visible in the photo of it from top at about the 5 o'clock spot. Very tiny. In normal size, you'd have to find it with a fingertip rather than your eyes. There are a couple of the tiny diamond-form border bits of hair that have come loose from the milk glass backing, and really that is the sum total of anything I can even find to point out. Burled wood is satiny and gorgeous. And no chips nor hairlines on that convex cover glass, no chips or damage at all to the inner liner. A stunning and large table snuff and beautiful anchor or addition to any hair art collection, jewelry or other (RARE to find a snuff box), or snuff box collection.
