This one is just unique and rare! Lemonwood with pique and hand painted heart, anchor, symbols and flowers, it is a 5 3/4” long table snuff from mid-late 1700s, French, hand carved, it's truly a work of art. It might well have been crafted to bring luck to a gambler, or love to a sailor. Brass pique and I didn't do my usual polish to show them up brighter, fearing I'd lose some of the painting. Fabulous old thing, isn't it. 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 the painting and pique against the lemonwood, an anchor and a heart motif there on top, florals on sides. Nicely preserved hinged lid. No chips anywhere, no cracks nor hairlines. The lid closes smoothly and tightly, no warp. A spectacular large example of this very 1700s art.
