Price guide to musical snuff boxes. Musical snuff boxes were also known as carillons à musique. The World Carillon Federation defines a carillon as “A musical instrument composed of tuned bronze bells which are played from a baton keyboard. Only those carillons having at least 23 bells may be taken into consideration.” Reference: Wikipedia
AN EARLY 19TH CENTURY SWISS GOLD MUSICAL SNUFF BOX
Henri Neisser, Geneva 1809 – 1814
Modelled as a purse, the interior with a small compartment for the musical movement with an enamelled cover depicting a pansy on a pale green ground, length 6.6cm.
Sold for £ 6,375 (US$ 8,021) inc. premium at Bonham’s in 2020
THE GENEVA MAKER ‘M&P’. A VERY FINE AND EXTREMELY RARE SMALL 20K VARICOLORED GOLD OVAL MUSICAL SNUFF BOX WITH FOUR AUTOMATICALLY CHANGING TUNES PLAYING ON A CARILLON OF FIVE BELLS
Stamped M&P, circa 1785
Sold for CHF 52,500 at Christie’s in 2021
Musical Snuff Box, c. 1840
No. 6055, playing two airs, with sectional comb in fourteen groups of five teeth (complete), in composition or gutta-percha case with horn inner cover, wd. 3 5/8 in. (9.4 cm), cylinder 2 3/8 in. (6 cm), good playing condition, chip on lower-front case rim, case with unobtrusive repairs, with key.
Sold for €550 at Auction Team Breker in 2022
A pearl-set gold and enamel musical watch snuff box, Henri Neisser, Geneva, circa 1808
oval, the lid enamelled with a young couple in landscape.
Sold for 94,500 GBP at Sotheby’s in 2020
