An early 19th century French gold and enamelled snuff box, by Victoire Boizot (veuve Blerzy), Paris 1808 – 1819 Unusual wavy-edge rectangular form, the cover centred with an enamel plaque depicting a harbour scene with mountains in the distance, a barque with pennants fluttering with the sun setting behind over a rayed engine-turned ground, within a stiff leafed frame and a border of pale green-highlighted acanthus scrolls on a lilac enamel ground with red and white paterae, the underside with blue pink and red enamel of radiating wavy lines centered on a patera, the sides with translucent red taille d’epergne wavy lines between white bands on a pink ground, the base centred with the tugra of Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II (1784-1839) on a pink ground with translucent red roses and a similar acanthus border, length 8cm, weight total 188gms. Sold for £18,125 inc. premium at Bonhams in 2018

A PARCEL-GILT SILVER AND NIELLO SNUFF-BOX MAKER’S MARK CYRILLIC ‘DSh’, MOSCOW, 1818 Rectangular, the nielloed hinged cover depicting Emperor Alexander I and allegorical figure of Europe, within an architectural setting, the sides inscribed in Russian ‘Your firmness saved Europe / Your victory brought peace’, also inscribed ‘Peace in Europe 1814’, the base nielloed with military trophies, all on gilt stippled ground, interior gilt, marked inside cover and base 3½ in. (8.8 cm.) wide 3.5 oz. (110 gr.) gross Sold for GBP 2,000 at Christies in 2017

A PORCELAIN SNUFF BOX, GERMAN, LATE 19TH CENTURY cartouche shaped with waisted sides, the lid and sides painted with vignettes of military figures in a skirmish and outside tents reserved on a magenta scalework ground, the lid interior with a portrait of Frederick the Great, silver-gilt mount maker’s marked DE 7.8cm long. Sold for £1,300 at Matthew Barton Ltd. in 2016

A commemorative gold and enamel double portrait snuff box, maker’s mark IB probably for James Bellis, London, 1767 oval, the lid set with an earlier glazed portrait of Sir Robert Rich, (1685-1768), 4th Baronet, of Roos (Rose) Hall, Suffolk, painted on enamel by Charles Boit, signed ‘Boit p.’, circa 1710-15, the interior of the lid with an earlier portrait of his wife, Elizabeth Griffith (died 1773), by Christian Frederich Zincke, circa 1710 -15, chased overall with military trophies within key fret over a hatched ground, maker’s mark IB in a cut-cornered rectangle, London standard marks and date letter, in contemporary plush-lined fishskin case Sold for 68,750 GBP at Sothebys in 2017

JAMES BUTE’S ROSEWOOD AND WHALEBONE SNUFF BOX, ENGLISH, DATED 1831,The snuff box with sliding lid and inset bone plaque engraved “JAS AS BUTE *RM* 1831” 1 1/2in (4cm) long

Sold for £ 2,500 inc. premium at Bonham’s in 2018

A 19TH C. ROSEWOOD SHOE FORM BOX WITH SHELL HEART

The nicely carved snuff box in the form of a square-toed show with extra detail overall including the sliding cover having concentric incised lines centered by an inlaid mother-of-pearl heart.

Measures 2.25 x 6.5 inches.

Sold forUS$180 at Soulis Auctions in 2021

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

A RUSSIAN GOLD-MOUNTED SILVER AND NIELLO SNUFF BOX
RUSSIA, SECOND HALF 18TH CENTURY
Of rectangular form, the hinged cover nielloed with the portrait of Empress Elizabeth on horseback after Georg Christoph Grooth (1716-1749), the sides nielloed with battle scenes and the base with war tropies, applied with gold mounts cast and chased with scrolls, apparently unmarked
3 5/8 in. (9.2 cm.) long

Sold for USD 5,000 at Christie’s in 2021

A Russian 84 gilt silver and enamel figural snuff box. The box is made in the shape of a head of a Bull dog. The ware is engraved with detailed patterns, encrusted with gem stone eyes, and diamonds. The snuff box is adorned with an embossed image of three heads of foxes, encrusted with diamonds, on the lid. The collar is covered with enamel in a cobalt blue shade. Presented in an original box. Total weight: 53 g.

Sold for US$850 at Antique Arena Inc. in 2022

A Russian silver-gilt and cloisonné snuff box, A Russian silver-gilt and cloisonné snuff box, with maker’s mark ‘AB’, Moscow, 1893, 84 standard, of circular form, the lid and base decorated with polychrome enamel arabesques, scrolls and flower heads, with gilt interior, 5cm diameter, 3.5cm high, 1.9ozt Condition Report: One of the white enamel ‘gems’ damaged to the underside. Wear to gilt underside. Surface scratches and scuffs to underside and interior.

Sold for £600 at Sworders Fine Art Auctioneers in 2022

An Alexander III late 19th century Russian 84 zolotnik silver snuff box, Moscow circa 1890 by Ivan Dmitrievich Saltykov (est. 1884) Of shell form, push button release.

Sold for £120 at Chiswick Auctions in 2022

Antique 19th Century Prob. Imperial Russian 800 Silver & 900 Gold Snuff Box

An incredible piece made from solid 800 Silver with deeply chased fine flower ornaments all over and a solid 900 yellow gold crest. Gilt inside. The lid and hinges are so perfectly fitted that it is hard to see the gap. Probably made in France or Russia in the second half of the 19th Century. The crest includes a Fleur de Lis thus implying a link to French royalty or nobility. Excellent antique condition with no damage or repairs. The hinge is solid, the lid closes tightly, and the crest is firmly attached. This extraordinary piece measures approx. 3 1/8″ long x 2 5/8″ wide ans weighs ca. 93.5 grams.

Sold for US$1,600 at Pandora Auctions in 2022